The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza on Saturday announced that more than 70,000 people have been killed since the war between Israel and Hamas began over two years ago. The grim milestone comes as a fragile US-brokered ceasefire continues to hold, despite both sides accusing each other of violating its terms.
According to the ministry, the official death toll has risen to 70,100, with 354 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10. The ministry added that two bodies had been received at Gaza hospitals in the past 48 hours, one of which was recovered from beneath the rubble of a destroyed building.
The ministry clarified that the significant jump in the figures was partly due to the processing and approval of data related to 299 previously unrecorded bodies.
Despite the pause in large-scale fighting, Gaza remains engulfed in a severe humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies continue to warn that shortages of food, medical supplies, clean water, and shelter have left millions at risk as the territory struggles to recover from years of bombardment.
The current war was triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, during which 1,221 people were killed and 251 individuals were abducted into Gaza.
At the start of the latest ceasefire, militants were holding 20 living hostages and the bodies of 28 deceased captives. According to Israeli authorities, Hamas has since released all surviving hostages and returned the remains of 26 of the dead.
In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from its jails and handed over the remains of hundreds of Palestinians killed during the conflict.
While the ceasefire has halted the heaviest fighting, observers warn that the situation remains highly volatile, with the humanitarian needs in Gaza continuing to grow and diplomatic efforts underway to prevent a return to full-scale war.
