Palestinian toll in Gaza rises to 469 – medics

A Palestinian man inspects a house that was destroyed in an early morning Israeli missile strike in Gaza City, Wednesday, July 16, 2014. AP FILE PHOTO

GAZA CITY – The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the latest round of Gaza violence rose to 469, medics said, after announcing the deaths of another 31 people early Monday.

Emergency services spokesman for the Gaza Strip Ashraf al-Qudra said 72 of the Palestinians had been killed on Sunday in Shejaiya, between Gaza City and the Israeli border, bringing down a previous toll of 73.

Qudra said 80 percent of the Shejaiya fatalities were “old men, women and children.” He said another 4,000 Palestinians were wounded there.

Qudra’s toll included deaths over the past 15 days.

Since the Israeli military started Operation Protective Edge on July 8 in a bid to stamp out rocket fire, Palestinian militants have fired 1,414 mortars and rockets that hit Israel, with the Iron Dome air defense system intercepting another 377, the army said.

On Sunday, the Israeli army said 13 soldiers had been killed inside Gaza on the third day of a major ground operation, raising to 18 the number of soldiers killed since the ground operation began late on Thursday.

Another two Israeli civilians had been killed by rocket fire from Gaza.