The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 52,567, with 118,610 others injured since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in early October 2023, according to a statement released Monday by Gaza-based health authorities.
The statement said that since Israel resumed intensive airstrikes on March 18, following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire, at least 2,459 Palestinians have been killed and 6,569 injured.
In the past 24 hours alone, 23 Palestinians were killed and 119 others injured in Israeli military operations across the enclave, while the bodies of nine people killed in earlier attacks were found, according to Gaza's civil defense and health authorities.
According to Palestinian media reports, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn on Monday have killed more than 50 people.
The strikes targeted Gaza City in the north, Khan Yunis in the south, and the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 52,567
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 52,567
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 52,567
Some Iranians in Türkiye are crossing back over the border, driven by worry and desperation, as a nationwide communications blackout in Iran has left them cut off from their loved ones.
Protests have erupted in many Iranian cities since Dec. 28. They initially began with Tehran bazaar merchants demonstrating against the sharp devaluation of the national currency rial, and soaring inflation, before spreading to other cities. The unrest has led to casualties among both security forces and civilians.
At the Turkish-Iranian border, many are returning with no certainty about what awaits them, filled instead with questions and growing fear for those on the other side of the border.
"I went to Van yesterday for internet. I urgently needed to use the internet. I got it done. Now I'm heading straight back. There are protests everywhere. We can't get any news. We can't communicate with our families. And it's not just me, there are many Iranians outside the country who can't reach their families," said Feriste, an Iranian citizen.
With communications blacked out across Iran, those outside the country feel powerless to check on the situation back home. For some, this silence has prompted them to return across the border, even as tensions continue to rise.
"We can't get any news. There is no internet. Everything is shut down. I want to search. I want to find out. I want to see my brother. I'm going to see my family," said Husnu, an Iranian citizen.
"I work in Türkiye, and I have no news from Iran at all. I'm going back because I'm worried about my family. It's been days since I last heard from them, and because I'm worried, I'm returning to Iran now. Of course, we are concerned about our safety. We don't know what awaits us there," said another Iranian.
With protests escalating and government blackouts still in place, many Iranians are caught between staying in safety abroad and risking everything to reconnect with their families.
"We had to come to Türkiye because we couldn't reach our families. Schools were closed already. All official institutions were shut down. We have no information about other cities either, because there is no communication network there. There is no television, no internet. We can't even check Twitter," said Nazlican, another Iranian citizen.
Iranians in Türkiye return home, fearing for their families amid unrest in Iran
Iranians in Türkiye return home, fearing for their families amid unrest in Iran
