Death toll in Gaza passes 46K, Hamas says

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported on Thursday that more than 46,000 people had died from Israeli aggression since Oct. 7, 2023. The number of people injured by Israeli military activities verged on 110,000, according to the Gaza-based terrorist group. The group has not distinguished between military and civilian casualties. Nonprofit groups like Amnesty International have criticized Israel for civilian losses in Gaza.

In three separate attacks over the past day, Israeli forces had killed roughly 70 people and injuries to more than 100 others, the ministry said. And even more Palestinians remained buried under rubble following those attacks, Hamas added.

What does Israel have to say about this? The Israeli military position is that it has taken steps to avoid civilian casualties. It tries to warn civilians of impending attacks through a variety of methods, it says. Those methods include texting cell phone numbers and dropping evacuation warning pamphlets into areas about to see violence.

What about the hostages in Gaza? The hostage advocacy group Bring Them Home Now said Thursday that nearly 100 hostages were still in Gaza. It remains uncertain how many of them are still alive. They’ve been in Gaza for 461 days, the group added.

What about Israeli casualties? Over the first year of the war, more than 726 Israeli troops were killed, with more than 300 of those being killed in Gaza, according to data from the Israel Defense Forces. About 1,200 men, women, and children were killed in the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift from yesterday about Israeli soldiers finding the bodies of two hostages in Gaza.