At least 15,207 Palestinians lost their lives as a result of Israeli attacks in Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Hamas, CNN reported, citing a spokesperson for the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza on Sunday. At least 40,652 others have been injured in Gaza during the conflict, and 70 per cent of the victims are children and women, Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra said at a news conference on Saturday.
It reported that 193 Palestinians have been killed since a truce between Israel and Hamas expired on Friday morning and Israel resumed its attacks in the region.
Meanwhile, Israel recalled its negotiators team from Qatar after their talks with Hamas reached a “dead end”, CNN reported citing a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office (PMO).
Taking to X, the Israeli PMO posted, “Following the impasse in negotiations and the directive given by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Director of the Mossad David Barnea has instructed his team in Doha to return to Israel.”
During the seven-day truce between Israel and Hamas, which ended on Friday morning, 105 civilians were released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 81 Israelis, 23 Thai nationals and 1 Filipino, in exchange for 210 Palestinian prisoners, all of them women or minors. Israel also allowed an influx of humanitarian aid into the Strip, The Times of Israel reported.
Still held hostage by Gaza terror groups when the truce collapsed were 136 people — 114 men, 20 women and two children — government spokesperson Eylon Levy said. Ten of the hostages are 75 and older, he said, adding a vast majority of the hostages, 125, are Israeli. Eleven are foreign nationals, including eight from Thailand, the spokesperson informed further.
Israel launched an offensive against Hamas in Gaza in the wake of the October 7 assault on southern Israel, which left about 1,200 dead and many more injured, according to reports. Another 240 people, including foreigners, were taken hostage, the reports stated.
Gaza Death Toll Surges, U.S. Appeals for Civilians’ Protection
Separately, the ministry said the overall death toll in Gaza since the Oct. 7 start of the war had surpassed 15,200, a sharp jump from the previous count of more than 13,300 on Nov. 20. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, but it said 70% of the dead were women and children. It said more than 40,000 people had been wounded since the war began.Appeals from the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, to protect civilians came after an offensive in the first weeks of the war devastated large areas of northern Gaza. Some 2 million Palestinians, almost Gaza’s entire population, are now crammed into the territory’s southern half.Israel’s military said it had hit more than 400 Hamas targets across Gaza over the past day, including more than 50 in Khan Younis city and surrounding areas in the south.
