GAZA STRIP – The Health Ministry in Gaza announced on Saturday that the documented death toll from the ongoing war has surpassed 70,000, a stark milestone reached as a fragile, U.S.-brokered ceasefire holds but remains under strain.
In a detailed statement, the ministry, which is administered by Hamas but whose figures have been historically deemed credible by the United Nations and other international bodies, stated the total number of killed had risen to 70,100. The ministry clarified that a recent spike in the reported figure was due to the processing and official approval of data for 299 victims whose bodies were recovered from under the rubble of destroyed buildings over preceding weeks.
A Truce Tested and a Deepening Crisis
The announcement comes during a tense period of relative calm. The current ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, has largely halted the widespread aerial bombardment and ground operations that characterized the conflict. However, the situation remains volatile, with both Israeli and Hamas officials accusing the other of isolated violations.
Despite the lull in major combat, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. The United Nations and aid agencies report that the majority of the enclave’s 2.3 million population is displaced, facing severe shortages of food, clean water, medicine, and fuel. The collapse of the healthcare system and the destruction of critical infrastructure have created what officials describe as a “public health crisis,” with the spread of disease posing an additional threat to life.
Since the ceasefire began, the Health Ministry reported that 354 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. In the 48 hours leading up to the Saturday announcement, two bodies were received at Gaza hospitals, one of which was recently recovered from beneath the ruins of a building.
Origins and the Hostage-Prisoner Exchange
The war was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities report that the assault resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 individuals taken as hostages into Gaza.
The current ceasefire is built around a phased hostage-prisoner exchange. At the start of this truce, militants were holding 20 living hostages and the bodies of 28 deceased captives. Hamas has since released all the remaining living hostages and returned the remains of 26 of the dead.
In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from its custody, a mix of individuals held on security-related charges and others detained during the war. Israel has also returned the bodies of hundreds of dead Palestinians.
International Context and Mounting Pressure
The soaring death toll in Gaza has intensified international pressure on Israel and its allies. Global bodies, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ), are examining cases related to the conflict, and the United Nations has repeatedly called for investigations into potential violations of international law by all parties.
The surpassing of the 70,000 casualty figure is likely to amplify calls for a permanent end to the hostilities. However, the underlying issues—including Hamas’s demand for a complete Israeli withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire, and Israel’s stated goal of dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities—remain unresolved, casting significant doubt on the long-term durability of the current truce.
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