By CNN Staff |CNN — More than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military offensive nearly a month ago, the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the Palestinian enclave said Monday. Israel retaliated by launching an air and ground offensive on Gaza, vowing to eliminate the militant group. CNN cannot independently verify the numbers released by the ministry in Gaza, which is sealed off by Israel and mostly sealed by Egypt. Thousands more Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the last month than those who died in conflicts with Israel spanning over the last 15 years. The rising death toll as Israel’s bombardment campaign on the densely populated strip draws international condemnation.
