Key facts
- The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 73,001, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
- Over 173,200 people have been wounded since the war began.
- Israel has continued to strike inside Gaza despite a fragile, stalled ceasefire.
- The Hamas-led October 7 attack killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
- The health ministry states women and children make up around half of all fatalities.
The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing war in Gaza has surpassed 73,001, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. This grim milestone comes despite a fragile ceasefire that officials describe as stalled, with Israel continuing military strikes within the territory. Israel states these actions are against Hamas and other militants or in response to ceasefire violations.
Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the ministry’s records department, and Hamza Salem from public relations confirmed the latest figures, which include five deaths reported on Sunday. The total number of wounded has now exceeded 173,200 since the conflict began with the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.
The Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed records considered reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. While the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants, it notes that women and children constitute about half of all fatalities. Israel maintains it endeavors to avoid civilian casualties and attributes deaths to Hamas's operational methods in populated areas.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement from October halted full-scale military operations and secured the return of remaining hostages. However, other aspects of the deal, such as Hamas disarming and Israeli troop withdrawals, have stalled. Both parties accuse each other of violating the terms, though the agreement is reportedly still in effect. Nickolay Mladenov, the diplomat overseeing the ceasefire, indicated that progress on reconstruction, troop withdrawals, and establishing a new Palestinian government is impeded by the deadlock over Hamas's disarmament.
The war has displaced over 2 million Palestinians, devastated large areas of Gaza, and led to widespread shortages of essential supplies due to the closure of border crossings, with only one remaining under Israeli control.