At least 83 Palestinians killed in Turkey-Syria earthquake: ministry

At least 83 Palestinians are confirmed to have been killed in the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, devastating several towns and cities in the region.

The increase in the death toll comes as the bodies of a woman and her daughter were pulled from under the rubble in the Turkish city of Antakya, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.

Meanwhile, the ministry said it expects the death toll to increase, as the Palestinian Rapid Response Team is continuing its rescue mission in the affected areas, according to the Palestinian Wafa agency.

In Turkey, 32 Palestinians were confirmed among the dead, while in Syria, 51 Palestinians had lost their lives.

On Tuesday, Palestine’s ambassador to Turkey confirmed that 55 Palestinians were among the dead, many of them being refugees.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that an entire family originally from Gaza was killed in Antakya in the disaster.

The Abu Jalhoum family, comprising of Abdul-Karim, his wife Fatima and their four children had been living in Turkey for over decade, in order to lead a better life away from Gaza's Israeli-imposed, decades-long blockade and diminishing quality of life.

Syria is home to an estimated 62,000 Palestinian refugees, most of whom live in camps in Latakia and Ein el-Tal, Aleppo and Hama, according to Mondoweiss.

In total, around 450,000 Palestinian refugees are registered in Syria, as per the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

The Palestinian Rapid Response and Rescue arrived in Turkey and Syria in order to assist with rescue missions alongside local and international relief teams, Wafa said.

The team, which also includes members from the civil defence and paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society will carry out their mission for a total of nine days.

Mosques across the occupied West Bank collected more than $1 million in donation money following Friday and absentee prayers, said the Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs.

The death toll for the 7.8 magnitude earthquake has now exceeded 24,000 as of Saturday, and has left approximately 80,000 people injured.