Gaza death toll surpasses 74,000 as Israeli strikes continue despite ceasefire

The Palestinian death toll from the nearly three-year Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 74, 000, Gaza’s Health Ministry said, as Israeli strikes continue despite a ceasefire. The ministry said the death toll had reached 74, 016, with another 175, 068 people wounded since the war began on October 7, 2023. A ceasefire that took effect on October 10 has halted the heaviest fighting, but Israeli strikes have continued, with the military saying they are carried out in response to threats or attacks. The latest Israeli strike, in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis, killed one person and wounded three others, Palestinian health officials said. Meanwhile, the next phase of the US-brokered ceasefire remains largely stalled. Israeli forces currently control more than half of Gaza, while radical Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said they will not withdraw until Hamas disarms. Netanyahu is also facing a tight contest in the October 27 elections, the first since the October 7 attack, which has largely been framed as a referendum on the security failures surrounding the assault. Leading Jewish opposition parties have pledged to cooperate to defeat Netanyahu’s coalition, despite criticism over internal divisions. Hamas leader Khalil Al Hayya dismissed the prospect of an Israeli political change bringing a significant shift in Gaza policy, saying Israelis were likely to campaign on the suffering in Gaza. “Whether this or that person comes to power, or this party or another — our people have suffered at the hands of all Israeli parties, ” Al Hayya said. He added that Hamas rejected the use of Palestinian suffering in Israeli elections and said the focus should remain on achieving the Palestinian people’s “goals, aspirations, and legitimate rights. ”

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