Gaza City, July 30 (RHC)-- The Palestinian death toll has reached 1,216 after 22 days of the Israeli regime's massive offensive against the besieged Gaza Strip.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a summary that as of 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) Tuesday, 239 children had been killed in three weeks of missile strikes and artillery shelling against the blockaded sliver.

The fatalities consisted of 157 boys and 82 girls all aged between three months and 17 years. According to the UN agency, there were 166 children aged 12 or younger among the dead children. At least 120 Palestinians were killed by Israelis on Tuesday.

"The physical and psychological toll that the violence is having on people is almost indescribable," said Pernille Ironside, the chief of the UNICEF field office in Gaza, adding: "We see children killed, injured, mutilated and burnt, in addition to being terrified to their core. The consequences run much deeper than previous flare-ups.

Israeli warplanes have been carrying out incessant airstrikes against the blockaded Gaza Strip since July 8th. On July 17th, thousands of Israeli soldiers launched a ground incursion into the densely-populated strip.