The death toll in Gaza from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has exceeded 73,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as military activity persists despite a fragile ceasefire established in October. The ministry reported that nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, while five Israeli soldiers have died during the same period.
The Israeli military has continued operations targeting Hamas and other militant groups it holds responsible for security threats and ceasefire breaches, including sporadic attacks. The conflict initially erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an offensive on southern Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages.
Since the beginning of the war, Gaza’s Health Ministry has recorded 73,001 deaths and over 173,200 wounded. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led government and is staffed by medical professionals, does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its counts but notes that women and children constitute about half of the fatalities. Israel asserts that it attempts to avoid civilian casualties and attributes Palestinian deaths to Hamas’s tactics of operating amid densely populated areas.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, signed in October, ended full-scale hostilities and secured the release of all remaining hostages. However, key aspects of the deal have stalled. Hamas has declined to disarm, and Israeli forces have advanced further into Gaza rather than retreating, prompting each side to accuse the other of violating the ceasefire even as they maintain that the agreement remains in place. Progress on broader issues, including reconstruction efforts, Israeli troop withdrawals, and the formation of a new Palestinian government, remains stalled due to the deadlock over Hamas disarmament, according to Nickolay Mladenov, the UN official overseeing the ceasefire.
The conflict has displaced most of Gaza’s population of more than two million people and devastated large portions of the territory, leaving widespread shortages of food, medicine, and basic necessities. Gaza’s border crossings, except one controlled by Israel, remain closed, compounding humanitarian concerns.
On Sunday, an Israeli strike in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza reportedly killed at least four people and injured others, according to health authorities at Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were treated. An Israeli military source, speaking anonymously, stated that the military targeted terrorists in the area but did not provide further details. Palestinian health officials also reported that five Palestinians, including a 13-year-old boy, were killed during strikes on Saturday night and early Sunday. The Israeli military said those operations targeted Hamas militants.