Over 1,000 killed in Gaza since October ceasefire, health officials say
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 1,005 Palestinians since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect last October, the Gaza Health Ministry reported Wednesday. The figure marks the highest post-ceasefire death toll since the war began, the ministry said.
The enclave has seen near-daily attacks — including airstrikes, shelling, and gunfire — along the boundary that divides Gaza into separately controlled zones. Most of the recent deaths occurred after a series of Israeli drone strikes on towns and refugee camps in central Gaza and Gaza City, according to the ministry.
On Wednesday, an Israeli strike killed two Palestinians and wounded six others in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, health officials at Nasser Hospital said. The Israeli military acknowledged the strike, saying it targeted a “terrorist,” but did not elaborate. Families at the hospital said the strike hit a group of people near the beach in Muwasi, a sprawling tent camp where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are living.
Israel has said it is continuing to operate against Hamas and other allied militants, and has expanded the territory it controls inside the strip. Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.
In a separate statement, the Israeli military said it killed two militants from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in strikes over the weekend.
The Health Ministry on Sunday said the overall death toll from the war in Gaza has surpassed 73,000. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but its records are staffed by medical professionals and are widely viewed by the international community as generally reliable.
The war began Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Israel has since conducted a punishing offensive in Gaza aimed at annihilating Hamas and freeing the remaining hostages.
Related coverage: MSI previously reported that the Gaza ceasefire, which began in October 2023, has been marked by persistent violence and mutual accusations of violations. See: Gaza ceasefire reaches 6 months amid Iran war tensions.