Palestinian Death Toll In Gaza Tops 69,000, Local Health Officials Say

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza health officials said Saturday. Israel-Hamas war So far, Israel and Hamas have completed the latest exchange of bodies under the terms of the agreement. temporary ceasefire agreement.

Latest jump in deaths attributed to recovery of more bodies under the rubble of the ruined lane Since the ceasefire began on 10 October and also due to the detection of previously unidentified bodies. This also includes Palestinians killed in attacks on the area since the ceasefire came into force; Israel says the attacks are to eliminate remaining militants.

The deal, though fragile, appears to be valid, as Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza early Saturday, according to hospital officials in the area. The handover took place a day after the militants returned the weapons. Remains of a hostage in Israel.

The exchange of dead is a central component of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which requires Hamas to return all hostages as quickly as possible. The ceasefire aims to end the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and a Palestinian militant group.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Also on Saturday, settler violence in the region reached new levels as Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers, medics, activists and journalists in the occupied West Bank.

Nearly a month after a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, authorities in Gaza continue to collect bodies using limited equipment and resources amid widespread destruction.

The total number of people killed in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 has risen to 69,169 after most of the dead were identified and more bodies were found, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said.

The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government and is staffed by medical experts, keeps detailed records that are generally considered reliable by independent experts.

Another 284 people were added to the cumulative total after their identities were verified between October 31 and November 7, the ministry said.

In addition, the ministry said that 10 bodies, nine of which were recovered from under the rubble and one of whom was newly killed, as well as six injured people, were brought to hospitals in Gaza in the last three days. It was also stated that many Palestinians were missing.

According to the data of the Ministry of Health, a total of 241 people have lost their lives in Gaza since the ceasefire began on October 10.

Israel confirmed on Saturday that the remains returned the night before were those of an Israeli hostage who died while the militants were fighting Hamas in 2023. the attack that started the war. According to the statement made by the Prime Minister, this person was identified as Lior Rudaeff. Benjamin Netanyahu office.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Rudaeff was born in Argentina and moved to Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, a farming community in southern Israel, as a child. He volunteered as an ambulance driver for more than 40 years and was a member of the community’s emergency response team.

Israel releases the remains of 15 Palestinians in exchange for every Israeli hostage returned. Following Rudaeff’s return, Israel handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Saturday, and Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in central Gaza confirmed their receipt.

Since the ceasefire began, Palestinian militants have released the remains of 23 hostages, including Rudaeff; five still remained in Gaza. Israel has handed over the bodies of 300 Palestinians so far.

Gaza medics It was difficult to identify the bodies The Gaza Ministry of Health announced that 89 of those who did not have access to DNA kits have been identified so far.

Palestinian health officials said that 11 people were injured in the attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, the latest of which was that settler violence reached new levels during this year’s olive harvest.

The U.N. humanitarian office said October documented the highest monthly number of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians and their West Bank property since the office began tracking it in 2006. There were more than 260 attacks, or an average of eight incidents per day, the office reported.

Palestinian medics said that journalists, volunteers and farmers were among those injured in the attack on the town of Beita.

The circumstances of the attack are not yet clear and the Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.

In a video of the incident circulating in Palestinian media, a man holding a camera can be seen bleeding down his face and chest. We were then shown the inside of a hospital, where a man in a journalist’s vest marked “press” and other people with bandages on their heads were lying on beds.

As settler violence escalates in the region, volunteers and activists flocked to this year’s olive harvest to help Palestinian farmers reach and return safely to their fields. The groups have been attacked repeatedly over the past few weeks.

Frankel reported from Jerusalem and Abou AlJoud reported from Beirut.