Gaza death toll nears 61,800 as Israel’s destructive war continues unabated

At least 61,776 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

A ministry statement said that 54 bodies, including four recovered from under rubble, were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 831 people were injured, taking the total number of injuries to 154,906 since the war began.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as ambulance and civil defense teams are unable to reach them,” it added.

The ministry noted that 22 Palestinians were killed and 269 others injured by Israeli strikes while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 1,881, with more than 13,863 others wounded since May 27.

It also reported that four people have died in the past 24 hours due to famine and malnutrition. This brought the total death toll from starvation to 239, including 106 children, as the humanitarian crisis in the enclave deepens.

The Israeli army resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18 and has since killed 10,251 people and injured 42,865 others, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.