Gaza death toll tops 70,000, health ministry says
CAIRO: The number of people killed in Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip has surpassed 70,000, the territory’s health ministry said on Saturday (Nov 29), as officials continue to identify bodies recovered from the rubble during the fragile ceasefire.
The ministry said 301 deaths had been added to the toll since Thursday, bringing the total to 70,100. According to the statement, two people died in recent Israeli strikes, while the rest were identified from remains long buried under collapsed buildings.
Israel did not immediately comment on the updated figures. Israeli officials have questioned the accuracy of Gaza’s health data, although they have not released their own estimate.
BODIES RECOVERED DURING CEASEFIRE
Much of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed since Israel launched its assault following the Hamas-led attack on Oct 7, 2023. The devastation has made it difficult for local authorities to determine casualties with precision.
In the early months of the war, health officials counted bodies that arrived at hospitals and logged names and identity numbers. As destruction increased, authorities said they delayed adding thousands of reported deaths to the official tally until forensic and medical checks could be completed.
Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct 10, the death toll has continued to rise as rescue teams use the relative calm to comb through wreckage.
The conflict began when Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seized 251 hostages in southern Israel. Israel’s response has levelled neighbourhoods and displaced much of Gaza’s population.
FAMILIES DEVASTATED BY AIRSTRIKES
Moaz Mghari said he lost 62 family members in Israeli strikes that destroyed two residential buildings near the entrance to Bureij camp in central Gaza. His parents and four siblings were among those killed.
He told Reuters he had been at a nearby shop when explosions shook the area. Returning home, he found the buildings reduced to dust.
“Then I began to realize what happened. I lost everything. I lost everyone,” he said.
Israel’s military says it does not target civilians. Public health experts note that Gaza had stronger pre-war population data systems than most countries in the region, and the United Nations continues to rely on the health ministry’s figures, describing them as credible.
