GAZA CITY, Palestine 

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Thursday they have received multiple bodies believed to have died due to inhaling toxic gases.

Autopsies were conducted on the bodies at Al-Shefa Hospital in Gaza city, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the cause of death was determined to be suffocation after inhaling toxic gases.

The ministry, however, did not specify the number of bodies.

Israel continues to target Gaza with heavy bombardment so far killing 69 Palestinians, including 17 children and seven women, according to health officials. At least 388 others have been injured, in addition to heavy damages to residential buildings across Gaza.

To date, six Israelis have been killed in the recent violence – five of them in rocket attacks in addition to a soldier killed when an anti-tank guided missile struck his jeep.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara