The Palestinian death toll in the ongoing Israel-Gaza war has surpassed 73,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. This grim milestone comes as Israeli military operations continue despite a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since October.
Since the start of the ceasefire, nearly 1,000 additional people have been killed in Gaza, the health ministry reported. Five Israeli soldiers have also been killed since the truce began. The total number of wounded has reached over 173,200 since the war commenced on October 7, 2023, following the Hamas-led attack into Israel which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.
The Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed records that are considered generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. While these records do not distinguish between civilians and militants, they indicate that women and children constitute around half of all fatalities. Israel states its operations target Hamas and other militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas for operating in densely populated areas, asserting it attempts to avoid harming civilians.