DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA STRIP—The Palestinian death toll in the Israeli offensive has officially surpassed the grim milestone of 70,000 fatalities, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced on Saturday. The figure marks an unprecedented loss of life in the history of the conflict and underscores the catastrophic human cost of the sustained military campaign that began in October 2023.
The Health Ministry, which has recorded 70,100 deaths since the war began, stated that the tally continues to climb despite a recent ceasefire, as bodies from earlier periods of intense bombardment are systematically recovered from the vast amounts of rubble across the devastated enclave.
The Scale of the Loss
The updated total of 70,100 deaths covers a period of just over two years of conflict, making it one of the deadliest military campaigns of the 21st century.
- Reliability: The Ministry of Health in Gaza, though operating under the Hamas-run government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed casualty records. These records have historically been cited by international organizations, including the United Nations, as generally reliable figures in the chaotic war zone.
- Methodology Caveats: It is important to note that the Ministry’s tally does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel has repeatedly questioned the overall accuracy of the figures and claims that thousands of those killed are Hamas fighters, though it has not provided its own detailed, verifiable estimate of overall casualties.
- Bodies Under Rubble: In the later stages of the war, the total reported death count slowed as health authorities struggled with access and infrastructure failure. However, since the latest ceasefire took effect in October, the toll has risen steadily as medical and civil defense teams gain access to previously inaccessible areas, identifying and registering victims whose remains were buried in the wreckage of destroyed buildings.
Continuing Casualties Despite Truce
The announcement of the surging death toll comes as Israeli forces continue to conduct strikes that they claim are in response to violations of the fragile truce.
On Saturday, staff at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza reported that Israeli fire killed two Palestinian children, ages 8 and 11, in the town of Beni Suhaila. The children reportedly died when a drone struck close to a school sheltering displaced people. The Israeli military confirmed they had killed two people who had “conducted suspicious activities” in an Israeli-controlled area but did not mention children.
The United Nations has warned that the war has led to unparalleled destruction, with research suggesting that the indirect death toll—from famine, disease, and lack of medical care—could be even higher, a tragedy compounded by an ongoing blockade that has exacerbated food insecurity.
The immense scale of the reported fatalities will intensify international scrutiny on the conduct of the war and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, which has left the vast majority of the territory’s 2.3 million residents displaced and in dire need of aid.