Israel’s 15-month war in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack, has decimated large swathes of the enclave and destroyed key health care infrastructure while placing an enormous strain on hospitals that remain functional.
Overnight, the death toll in the strip climbed higher, even as mediators announced a ceasefire and hostage deal set to take effect Sunday.
At least 12 people were killed and 20 others injured in an Israeli strike on a residential area in northern Gaza Wednesday, according to the Gaza Civil Defense.
More than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza during the war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Nearly 18,000 of those killed were children, the ministry says.
But the true number is likely much higher, according to a recent study.
Research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) published in The Lancet journal, said there were an estimated 64,260 “traumatic injury deaths” in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and June 30, 2024. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza put the figure at 37,877 at the time.
As of October 2024, the number of Gazans killed by violence was thought to exceed 70,000, the study said, based on the estimated underreporting rate.
The total death toll attributable to Israel’s military campaign is likely to be higher still, it said, as its analysis does not account for deaths caused by disruption to health care, insufficient food, clean water and sanitation, and disease.
