GAZA CITY, Palestine

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said Saturday that Israeli bombing on the eighth day of attacks on the enclave has left 300 Palestinians dead.

Spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said most of those killed Saturday were children and women.

He added that 800 Palestinians were wounded in Israeli attacks.

Since Oct.7, the Gaza Strip has been experiencing heavy Israeli attacks that wiped out entire neighborhoods and left more than 2,215 killed and 8,714 injured, with almost 40% of victims being children and women.

Israeli forces, a week ago, launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip in response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel -- a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

That response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has endured a crippling siege since 2007, as well as ordering more than 1 million Gazans in the northern strip to evacuate to the southern strip within 24 hours.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar