Number of Palestinians killed in Israel-Hamas war has passed 60,000, Gaza health ministry has announced

MORE than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 21-month war between Israel and Hamas, Gaza’s health ministry said.

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The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, said the death toll has climbed to 60,034, with another 145,870 people wounded since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

It did not say how many were civilians or militants, but has said women and children make up around half of the dead.

The ministry is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties.

Israel's offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced around 90% of the population and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts warning of famine.

As international organisations warn of a “worst-case scenario of famine’, Israel continued to strike the Gaza Strip, killing at least 70 Palestinians in the past day, according to local hospitals.

More than half were killed while attempting to access aid, hospitals said, and includes a rising toll from a deadly incident on Monday as people attempted to access aid from a truck convoy passing through the southern Gaza Strip.