Shillong: The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has hit 74,016. Gaza’s Health Ministry confirmed the grim milestone on Saturday. Total casualties include 175,068 people wounded since the fighting began on October 7, 2023. That initial Hamas-led invasion into Israel claimed 1,200 lives, mostly civilians, and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.
A ceasefire took effect on October 10. Heavy combat stopped. Yet, violence persists. Israeli military officials justify ongoing strikes as responses to active threats. Since that October truce, 1,145 Palestinians have died. Seven Israeli soldiers also perished during the same period. The ministry does not separate civilian deaths from militants but notes that "women and children make up around half the toll."
UN agencies and international groups track these figures. They view the ministry data as generally reliable. Still, progress on the broader US-brokered peace plan has stalled. The war remains far from over.
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