Gaza Ministry: Over 60,000 Palestinians killed in 21-month war

Over 60000 Palestinians have been killed in the 21month IsraelHamas war Gazas Health Ministry said Tuesday The ministry part of the Hamasrun government said the death toll has climbed to 60034 with another 145870 people wounded since Hamas October 7 2023 attack It did not specify how many were civilians or militants but has stated that women and children constitute around half of the deceasedThe ministry is staffed by medical professionals and the United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties Israels offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza displaced around 9037 of the population and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis with experts warning of famineAt Least 70 Palestinians Killed Over Past DayAs international organisations warn of a worstcase 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 this 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 StripLocal hospitals said they received the bodies of an additional 33 people who were killed by gunfire around an aid convoy in southern Gaza on Monday bringing the total from the single incident to 58 The Israeli military did not comment on the shootingIsrael says it only targets militants and takes extraordinary measures to avoid harming civilians It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in populated areas The military said it targeted Hamas military infrastructure over the past day including rocket launchers weapons storage facilities and tunnelsAn additional seven Palestinians were killed while attempting to access aid near the American and Israelibacked Gaza Humanitarian Fund site in central Gaza according to local hospitals Neither GHF nor the Israeli military commented on the shooting but the Israeli military has said in the past it only fires warning shots if troops feel threatened and GHF has said their contractors havent fired at civiliansAir strikes also targeted tents hosting displaced people in the central city of Nuseirat killing 30 people including 12 children and 14 women according to AlAwda hospital The strikes come as international organisations continue to warn about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza which has teetered on the brink of famine for two years Recent developments have dramatically worsened the situation according to a report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification or IPCIsrael Rejects Claims of Starvation PoliciesIsraeli foreign minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday rejected claims of starvation policies in Gaza and said the focus on starvation is a distorted campaign of international pressure This pressure is directly sabotaging the chances for a ceasefire and hostage deal it is only pushing towards military escalation by hardening Hamass stance he said Both the US and Israel have recalled their negotiating teams over the past week as negotiations seem to have stalledHamasled militants killed some 1200 people mostly civilians in the attack that sparked the war and abducted another 251 They are still holding 50 captives around 20 believed to be alive after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other dealsThe war took a major turn in early March when Israel imposed a complete 25month blockade barring the entry of all food medicine fuel and other goods Weeks later Israel ended a ceasefire with a surprise bombardment and began seizing large areas of Gaza measures it said were aimed at pressuring Hamas to release more hostages At least 8867 Palestinians have been killed since thenIsrael eased the blockade in May but UN agencies say it hasnt allowed nearly enough aid to enter and that they have struggled to deliver it because of Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of law and order An alternative Israelibacked system run by an American contractor has been marred by violence and controversyGutted Health System Daily Strikes and a Hunger CrisisNeardaily Israeli strikes have hit schools shelters hospitals and other civilian buildings killing men women and children The military usually says it was targeting militants hiding among civilians while occasionally acknowledging mistakesIsraels offensive and its blockade have also gutted Gazas health system with several hospitals having shut down and others only partially functioning as they receive waves of warwounded The hunger crisis has also taken its tollThe World Health Organization says more than 60 people have died this month from malnutritionrelated causes including 24 children under five Overall 88 children died of causes related to malnutrition since the start of the war and 58 adults died this month also of malnutritionrelated causes according to the Gaza Health MinistryDuring hunger crises people can die from malnutrition or from common illnesses or injuries that the body is not strong enough to fight The ministry doesnt include hungerrelated deaths in its overall tollThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever