Gaza death toll tops 73,000 as Israel strikes continues despite ceasefire

DEIR AL-BALAH, Jun 14: The Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 73,000, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Sunday, despite a fragile ceasefire that has been described as stalled.
Israel has continued to strike inside the territory despite the deal reached in October, saying it carries out strikes against Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the truce.
Confirmation of the latest Palestinian toll came from Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the ministry’s records department, and Hamza Salem from the ministry’s public relations department.
The number of deaths since the beginning of the war is now 73,001. On Sunday, the ministry said, there were five deaths: two in the southern city of Khan Younis and one in central Gaza, in addition to two who died of earlier wounds.
Over 173,200 people have been wounded since the start of the war, which was ignited by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel. That attack killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.
The health ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.
Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas.�" AP