People walk past buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Jan 4, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

GAZA/JERUSALEM - Palestinian death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip rose to 22,438 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct 7, 2023, said the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Thursday.

The Ministry Spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra said in a statement that the Israeli army killed 125 Palestinians and wounded 318 others in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours.

It brings the total deaths to 22,438 and injuries to 57,614, he said, noting that 70 percent of the victims are children and women.

A major Israeli military operation in the city of Tulkarm in the northern West Bank has continued for two days, primarily focusing on the Nour Shams refugee camp, according to local Palestinian sources

He added that 99 health workers, including the directors of three major hospitals in Gaza City and north, have been held by Israeli forces.

Al-Qedra warned that in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, the Nasser Medical Complex and the Al-Amal Hospital affiliated with the Red Crescent Society, have come under a series of Israeli strikes, calling on international institutions to take urgent action to protect hospitals and ensure access for the wounded and sick to medical facilities.

Meanwhile, a major Israeli military operation in the city of Tulkarm in the northern West Bank has continued for two days, primarily focusing on the Nour Shams refugee camp, according to local Palestinian sources.

The sources told Xinhua that the Israeli forces left major destruction to the roads and infrastructure in the area.

At least 325 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank since a new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out on Oct 7, 2023, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. 

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Palestinians make their way on a muddy path past tents at a makeshift camp housing displaced Palestinians, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas, on Jan 2, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

Also on Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that local Palestinians will run civilian affairs in Gaza while Israel will maintain security control of the coastal enclave after the current conflict ends.

Gallant outlined the vision of post-conflict Gaza in his daily press briefing, saying that "there will be no Israeli civilian presence in the Gaza Strip after the goals of the war are achieved."

"Gaza residents are Palestinian, therefore Palestinian bodies will be in charge on the condition that there will be no hostility to Israel," he added.

Regarding who will oversee security in Gaza following the conflict, the minister vowed that Israel will not permit Hamas to rule Gaza or endanger the safety of its people and will therefore reserve the operational freedom of action in Gaza.

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Gallant said Israel is going to move into what he referred to as Phase III of the conflict, which would include raids, destruction of "terror" tunnels, aerial and ground activities, and special operations.

Later in the evening, the Israeli Government Press Office issued a statement outlining the combat objective of Phase III of Israeli military operations in Gaza: the erosion of remaining "terror" hotspots in the area.

"In the southern region of the Gaza Strip, operational efforts focus on eliminating Hamas leadership and enabling the return of the hostages," the statement said, stressing that the fighting "will continue for as long as is deemed necessary."