Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 40,000 as Israel-Hamas War Enters 10th Month, Palestine’s Health Ministry Says
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza has reported that the death toll in the enclave has surpassed 40,000 since Israel launched its war against Hamas last October, marking a grim milestone in the ongoing conflict, CNN reports.
According to the ministry, 40 people died in Gaza over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 40,005, a staggering number representing about one in every 55 people living in Gaza. More than 92,401 people have also been injured in the conflict.
Palestinian authorities do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, but it is clear that most of the dead are civilians, including many women and children. Israel said last month that it had killed more than 14,000 combatants in Gaza since the start of the war.
The soaring figures give a window into the daily suffering, malnutrition and volatility in Gaza after 10 months of conflict.
And the milestone has been passed at a particularly unpredictable point in the conflict. A new round of ceasefire talks are due to begin Thursday, after the killings of senior figures in Hamas and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah upended the leadership of both organizations and made the negotiations appear precarious.
The news follows an especially deadly weekend for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. At least 93 people were killed overnight into Saturday when an Israeli strike hit a school and mosque in the eastern part of Gaza City where displaced people were sheltering, according to local officials.
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed to CNN that it carried out the strike, claiming “at least 19 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were eliminated.” However, the attack has drawn widespread condemnation, including from some of Israel’s closest allies.
