May 16 (UPI) -- At least 50 people were killed in airstrikes overnight in Gaza after Israel stepped up its military offensive in the north, the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency said, with the 19-month-long conflict marking another grim milepost as the number of Palestinians killed surpassed 53,000.
The agency said the fatalities were in addition to more than 120 on Thursday, prompting Hamas to describe the move as "barbaric escalation" by Israel and urge the international community to hold Israel to account.
Israel Defense Forces said it was conducting ongoing, intelligence-based strikes against "terror targets," hitting 150 sites in the past day, "dismantling terrorist infrastructure sites" and "eliminating terrorists" preparing to carry out attacks against its troops.
Figures published on the Hamas-run Ministry of Health's Facebook account on Friday put the total number of Palestinians killed since Oct. 7, 2023, at 53,119 and the number injured at 120,214.
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