Israeli forces killed 138 people and injured 625 others in the Gaza Strip from Thursday to Friday, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement on Friday evening.

According to a statement from the Health Ministry, the total number of deaths and injuries in Gaza in the past 21 months due to the Israeli forces' Thursday-Friday operations has reached 57,268 and 135,173, respectively.

"However, the actual number of injured and dead is much higher. Many are buried under the rubble. It has not been possible to rescue them," the ministry said in a statement.

The IDF began its operation in Gaza in October 2023. According to the ministry, the total number of deaths in the Israeli army's operation in Gaza since Monday has reached 54,927. In addition, another 126,227 Palestinians have been injured.

On October 7, 2023, fighters from Hamas, the armed political group that controls the Gaza Strip, entered Israeli territory and launched a surprise attack. They opened fire indiscriminately, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Israeli forces launched an operation in Gaza that day to respond to Hamas attacks and free the hostages. After more than 15 months of continuous operations, Israel declared a ceasefire in Gaza on January 19, forced by pressure from the United States and other mediating countries.

But before the two-month break was over, the IDF resumed its operations in Gaza on March 18. In the second phase of the operation, 6,710 Palestinians have been killed and another 23,584 injured in Gaza in the past two and a half months.

At least 35 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas fighters are believed to be still alive. The IDF has announced that it will rescue them through a military operation.