HOSPITALS in the Gaza Strip have received the remains of 51 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours, the territory’s Health Ministry said today, bringing the Palestinian death toll from 18 month of Israeli military violence to 52,243.

Israel ended a ceasefire with Islamist militant group Hamas by launching a surprise bombardment on March 18 and has been carrying out daily waves of strikes since then.

Ground forces have expanded a buffer zone, encircled the southern city of Rafah and now control around 50 per cent of the coastal enclave.