The Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 73,000, Gaza's Health Ministry announced on Sunday, as Israeli military operations persist despite a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since October and is now stalled.
Ceasefire Violations and Casualties
Israel states it is targeting Hamas and other militant groups that pose a threat, responding to what it describes as ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks. Since the start of the ceasefire, nearly 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry. Five Israeli soldiers have also been killed during this period.
The total number of deaths since the war began now stands at 73,001, with over 173,200 people wounded since October 7, 2023, following the Hamas-led attack on Israel. That attack killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Reliability of Data
The health ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records that are generally considered reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not differentiate between civilians and militants but reports that women and children account for about half of all fatalities.
Israel claims it makes efforts to avoid civilian casualties and attributes their deaths to Hamas, arguing that the militants operate in densely populated areas.
Stalled Ceasefire Deal
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement reached in October ended full-scale military operations and facilitated the return of all remaining hostages. However, other elements of the deal have stalled as Hamas refuses to disarm and Israeli troops have advanced in Gaza rather than withdrawn. Both sides accuse each other of violating the agreement but maintain that it remains in effect.
Nickolay Mladenov, the top diplomat overseeing the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, stated that progress on all other issues—including reconstruction, Israeli troop withdrawals, and the establishment of a new Palestinian government—is being hindered by the deadlock over disarming Hamas.
The war has displaced most of Gaza's population of over 2 million, left large parts of the territory in ruins, and created widespread shortages of food, medicine, and other basic supplies as border crossings with Gaza, all but one controlled by Israel, have been closed.
Recent Attacks
An Israeli strike on Sunday afternoon in northern Gaza's Jabaliya refugee camp killed at least four people and wounded others, according to health officials at Shifa hospital, where the casualties were taken. An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously in line with military guidelines, said the military struck terrorists in the area without elaborating.
A 13-year-old boy was among five Palestinians killed in Gaza on Saturday night and into early Sunday, according to Palestinian health officials. In response to the Saturday night strike that killed two of the five, the Israeli military claimed it was targeting Hamas militants.
