GAZA

The Israeli army has dropped 18,000 tons of bombs on the Gaza Strip since Oct.7, or about 1.5 times the explosive force of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in World War II, according to officials in the besieged enclave.

Speaking to the press, Salama Marouf, head of the government's media office, said Israeli forces have also destroyed 85 government buildings in Gaza, adding: "In Gaza, Israel has demolished 47 mosques and inflicted significant harm to three churches. The attacks have resulted in over 200,000 damaged buildings, with 32,500 of them rendered uninhabitable, 203 schools have sustained major damage, and 45 schools are now completely non-operational. Due to the intensity of the attacks, statistics are not yet complete."

Under the Geneva Convention, attacks on houses of worship and schools and other civilian structures are prohibited. Israel has claimed militants are taking shelter in or around these buildings.

"The Israeli army massacred 908 families, causing the death of thousands of people," Marouf added.

A total of 35 journalists, 124 healthcare workers, and 18 civil defense personnel from emergency rescue teams have also been killed in the attacks, he said.