At least 71 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, bringing up the death toll since 7 October to 40,405, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, Anadolu news agency reported.

A ministry statement added that some 93,468 other people have been injured in the assault.

“Israeli forces killed 71 people and injured 112 others in three ‘massacres’ of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas last 7 October,  despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

An Israeli blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on 6 May.