GAZA CITY, Palestine

The death toll of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli army since Oct. 7 has risen to 73, authorities in Gaza said Friday. 

The figure includes three journalists who were killed today in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, Ismail Thawabteh, head of the Gaza-based government media office, told a press conference.

One of the three killed today was Montaser Al-Sawaf, an Anadolu freelance cameraman who was reporting in Gaza, as Anadolu reported earlier. His brother and other relatives were also killed in the attacks.

Thawabteh also noted that the general Palestinian death toll in Gaza since Oct. 7 had passed 15,000, including 4,000 women and 6,150 children.

Defying international calls for a lasting cease-fire, the Israeli army intensively resumed its attacks across the Gaza Strip early on Friday after the end of the humanitarian pause, causing hundreds of causalities among Palestinians.

At least 109 Palestinians were killed and many others injured as Israel quickly resumed striking various areas in the Gaza Strip following the end of the pause, said the Health Ministry in Gaza.

The pause between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect on Nov. 24, ended on Friday morning.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar