Gaza death toll surpasses 70,000, says health ministry | Palestine
The number of Palestinians since the start of the Israel-Gaza war has exceeded 70,000, the Gaza health ministry said on Saturday, while a hospital reported that Israeli fire had killed two Palestinian children in the south of the area.
The death toll continued to rise after the last ceasefire came into force on October 10. Israel is still launching attacks in response to what it calls ceasefire violations, and bodies are being pulled from rubble from earlier in the war.
The health ministry said the number of Palestinians now stands at 70,100. The ministry operates under the Hamas-led government. It is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records that are generally considered reliable by the international community.
The war started on October 7, 2023, with the attack carried out by Hamas in southern Israel, in which approximately 1,200 people died and 250 people were taken hostage. Nearly all of the hostages or their remains were returned under ceasefires or other agreements.
Nasser hospital staff, who received the bodies of the children in southern Gaza, said that the siblings, aged 8 and 11, died when an Israeli drone attacked near a school hosting displaced people in the town of Beni Suheila.
The Israeli army said it killed two men who crossed into Israeli-controlled territory, “engaged in suspicious activities” and approached troops. The statement did not mention children. The military said another person was killed in a separate but similar incident in the south.
At least 352 Palestinians have been killed across the region since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into force, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Israel says its attacks target militants who violate the ceasefire. Both Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating the agreement. Hamas on Saturday again called on mediators to pressure Israel to stop ceasefire violations in Gaza.
The US plan charting the future of Gaza, devastated by more than two years of war, is still in its early stages. The plan to secure and manage the region authorizes an international stabilization force to ensure security, approves a transitional authority overseen by U.S. president Donald Trump, and envisions a possible path to an independent Palestinian state.
Israeli forces have also made progress on a number of other fronts in the region in recent weeks.
Israeli forces raided a village in Syria on Friday and opened fire on residents when they encountered them, killing at least 13 people, Syrian officials said. Israel said it carried out the operation to capture suspects of a militant group planning an attack on Israel, and that the militants opened fire on soldiers, wounding six people.
Israel has also stepped up its attacks in Lebanon, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah sites and that the militant group is trying to rearm.
Hezbollah criticized Pope Benedict XIV, citing almost daily Israeli attacks despite a ceasefire a year ago that ended a 14-month war between the two sides. He called on Leo to “reject injustice and aggression”. The Pope is visiting the region on his first trip abroad.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers have been accused by Palestinians of executing two men after footage broadcast by two Arab television channels showed them being shot by soldiers after appearing to surrender. The Israeli army announced that the investigation is continuing.
Violence against Israeli settlers in the West Bank continues to increase. On Saturday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that 10 Palestinians were injured by beatings and live bullets during attacks by settlers in the village of Hallet al-Louza near Bethlehem.
