Several Palestinians were martyred and others injured, this morning, July 9, in a series of airstrikes and artillery bombardments by the Israeli occupation airforce which targeted various areas in the Gaza Strip, indiscriminately.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, five individuals were martyred and several others, mostly children, were injured in Israeli airstrikes that struck homes in the Sahaba and Jalaa areas of Gaza City.

In turn, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported intense airstrikes by Israeli occupation forces around the al-Shifa Medical Complex on the western end of Gaza City.

In central Gaza, Israeli occupation attack drones were fired, north of the Nuseirat refugee camp, resulting in casualties among Palestinians. In Deir al-Balah, many Palestinians were martyred and others injured due to the targeting of a house.

As for the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli artillery shells targeted areas west of Rafah City.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have continued their aggression against Gaza by land, sea, and air, resulting in the martyrdom of over 38,193 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring more than 87,903 others, according to preliminary reports. Thousands remain trapped under the rubble.

In addition to the ongoing aggression, "Israel" has imposed a siege on the Gaza Strip, preventing aid from entering, and worsening living conditions amid the spread of epidemics and diseases.

The Lancet estimates 'Israel' killed up to 186,000 Palestinians in war

A study by the British scientific journal The Lancet, a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, predicts that the number of martyrs killed during the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, both directly and indirectly, will exceed 186,000.

The journal based this estimate on the consideration that armed conflicts have indirect health effects that extend beyond the direct harm caused by violence.

The journal then explained that "Even if the conflict were to end immediately, many indirect deaths will continue to be recorded in the coming months and years due to causes such as reproductive diseases, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases."

Additionally, it noted that "The total number of deaths is expected to be large given the intensity of this conflict, the devastated healthcare infrastructure, the severe shortage of food, water, and shelter, the inability of the population to move to safe places, and the loss of funding for UNRWA."

The British journal emphasized that "in recent conflicts, the number of indirect deaths has ranged from 3 to 15 times the number of direct deaths," adding "If we apply a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths for every direct death, we will find that this figure is much higher than the number of direct deaths."

Given the more than 37,000 reported deaths in Gaza, it is not surprising to estimate that up to 186,000 or even more deaths could be recorded in Gaza, the British journal stressed.

It added that using the estimated population of the Gaza Strip for 2022, which is 2,375,259 people, would translate to 7.9% of the total population in the sector.

Furthermore, The Lancet emphasized that an immediate and urgent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is necessary, "accompanied by measures to enable the distribution of medical supplies, food, clean water, and other resources to meet basic humanitarian needs."

It stressed the there is a "need to record the scale and nature of suffering in this conflict," and added that "Documenting the true scale is crucial for ensuring historical accountability and acknowledging the full cost of the war. "

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