Smoke billows over Khan Yunis from Rafah in the southern Gaza strip during Israeli bombardment on Dec 31, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. (PHOTO / AFP)

GAZA / JERUSALEM / RAMALLAH - The number of Palestinian deaths due to Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 21,822, with 56,451 injured, the Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Sunday.

In a press statement sent to Xinhua, Ashraf Al-Qedra, the health ministry spokesman said that the Israeli army killed 150 and injured 286 others during the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Palestinian sources told Xinhua that the former Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Youssef Salama, was killed in an Israeli air strike on his home in Al-Maghazi refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that in the past week, over 100 Palestinian militants were killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), with dozens being killed daily

The sources said that Israeli warplanes bombed Sheikh Salama's house, killing him and wounding a number of his family members.

The sources added that a paramedic was killed while working in an Israeli raid on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

ALSO READ: Israeli forces kill dozens of Hamas militants in Gaza City

Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army spokesperson said on his X account that the Israeli forces continued the fight in Gaza, and have thwarted ready-to-use explosive devices, destroyed infrastructure of Palestinian factions, and killed 14 militants.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage in southern Israel on Oct 7, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that in the past week, over 100 Palestinian militants were killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), with dozens being killed daily.

Netanyahu made the remarks at the start of a government meeting at the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv.

"Last week they (the troops) eliminated over 100 terrorists ... Dozens of terrorists were eliminated on a daily basis, sometimes even more than this. We will eliminate Hamas, bring back our hostages, and win the war," he said.

Displaced Palestinian children stand next to a mural painting by artist Amal Abo in Rafah in the southern of Gaza Strip, on Dec 31, 2023, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (PHOTO / AFP)

An IDF statement released later in the day showed that Israeli soldiers are continuing to operate in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The soldiers are coordinating operations with armored, engineering, and air forces units to locate and destroy infrastructure and kill Palestinian militants in close-quarters combat scenarios.

At the Sunday meeting, talking about the national backing to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Netanyahu noted that 9 billion shekels (about $2.5 billion) have been conveyed to the reservists and their families, and the state also supports the reservists' right to be elected.

According to a statement from Israel's Government Press Office, the government on Sunday unanimously approved the signing of an order to postpone local elections until Feb 27, 2024, which were supposed to be held in October this year.

ALSO READ: Lebanese Prime Minister warns of 'comprehensive war' in Gaza

The postponement was made as 688 reservists, who cannot be discharged, are running in 144 local authorities, said the statement, citing the IDF data.

Also on Sunday, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said that more Palestinians were killed in conflicts in 2023 than in any other year since 1948.

According to the bureau, 22,404 Palestinians died in 2023, and 22,141 of them were killed since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and the Gaza-ruling Hamas on Oct 7.

A man sleeps next to people sitting outside tents where displaced Palestinians are camped outside the European Hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Dec 31, 2023 amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (PHOTO / AFP)

The bureau said 98 percent of the Palestinian fatalities were in Gaza, including nearly 9,000 children and 6,450 women, adding that 319 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank since Oct 7.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that his people would remain steadfast and adhere to their legitimate rights, and would not accept being displaced from their land.

READ MORE: Israel expands offensive in Gaza; UN warns of deeper crisis

In a statement marking the 59th anniversary of the founding of the Fatah movement, Abbas said the Palestinian Authority, which he heads, would not give up a single inch of their territory, and would not forsake its responsibilities toward Gaza.

Abbas said military solutions would destabilize the region and the rest of the world rather than bringing anyone peace or security. He called for a political solution based on international law and resolutions that would recognize the Palestinians' rights to freedom and independence.