The death toll among Palestinians in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has exceeded 73,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Despite a ceasefire that has been described as tenuous, Israel has continued to carry out strikes in the region, targeting Hamas and other militant groups deemed as threats, as well as responding to ceasefire violations, including sporadic attacks. Since the truce was established, five Israeli soldiers have lost their lives.
The latest figures were confirmed by Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the ministry’s records department, and Hamza Salem from the public relations department. The total number of casualties since the conflict began now stands at 73,001, with five more deaths reported on Sunday, including two in Khan Younis and one in central Gaza, in addition to two individuals succumbing to previous injuries. Over 173,200 people have been injured since the start of the war, as reported by the Health Ministry.
The conflict was triggered by a Hamas-led incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 251 others, according to Israeli sources. The Health Ministry, operating under the Hamas-led administration, maintains detailed records considered reliable by United Nations agencies and experts. While not differentiating between civilians and combatants, the ministry notes that women and children account for approximately half of all fatalities.
Israel asserts its efforts to minimize harm to civilians and attributes civilian casualties to Hamas due to the group’s presence in densely populated areas. The ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S. in October ceased full-scale military operations and facilitated the release of all remaining hostages. However, certain aspects of the deal have stalled as Hamas has resisted disarmament, and Israeli forces have advanced into Gaza rather than withdrawing. Both parties have accused each other of breaching the agreement but acknowledge its ongoing validity.
Progress on key issues such as reconstruction, Israeli troop redeployment, and the establishment of a new Palestinian government remains hindered by the impasse over Hamas disarmament, as noted by Nickolay Mladenov, the lead diplomat overseeing the ceasefire. The conflict has uprooted a significant portion of Gaza’s population, leaving extensive destruction in its wake and triggering severe shortages of essential resources due to restricted access through Israeli-controlled border crossings.
[End of rewritten article]