Number of Deaths in Gaza So Far: A Shocking Toll of the War

17th October 2024

3 minutes read

Number of Deaths in Gaza So Far: A Shocking Toll of the War

The Israeli war in the Gaza Strip is entering its second year, and with it, the death toll among Palestinians continues to rise.

What is the death toll in Gaza since the outbreak of the war?

Today, Wednesday, the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced that the number of deaths has reached 42,409 since the war broke out on October 7 of last year.

As for the number of injured, it stands at 99,153 at the time of writing this article.

According to the same source, the toll includes at least 65 people killed in the past 24 hours in various areas of the Gaza Strip.

The Buried Nightmare

Announced figures and others buried under the rubble hint at a nightmare waiting for the end of the war to be exhumed.

During the early days of the outbreak of war in Gaza, medical teams in all hospitals recorded the name, gender, and ID number of each victim that reached them, and the Ministry of Health published a daily toll of deaths by compiling these figures.

However, the collapse of the medical system in Gaza after months of fighting has made counting the dead an extremely difficult process, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The latest report from the Ministry of Health indicates that there are about 6,000 bodies still unidentified, and there are also those who have not been counted, who died under the rubble or were buried with their families without being transferred to the hospital or morgue.

Experts say the real death toll may be much higher.

Jabalia under Siege

In Jabalia, northern Gaza, Palestinians trapped under Israeli bombardment describe their suffering between mourning their missing loved ones and struggling to survive with a lack of food.

Emergency services also seem unable to reach those trapped under the rubble.

Mohammed Abu Halima (40 years old), from Jabalia, shares his suffering with an AFP reporter: “The situation is catastrophic in the north; we don’t know where to go, the bombardment doesn’t stop.”

Abu Halima notes that residents are trapped in their homes, among whom there are dead and injured, pointing out that there are missing bodies under the rubble for more than a week.

“There is no hope, no water, no means of life,” this is how Mohammed Abu Halima described the current situation in Jabalia camp.

Last week, the Israeli army intensified its operations in this area after announcing a siege, exacerbating the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people trapped there, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Since the encirclement of Jabalia, residents and medical care and civil defense officials have confirmed that heavy bombardment and closed roads are preventing the delivery of medical aid.

Moreover, rescue efforts have increasingly been disrupted by fierce fighting, preventing civil defense crews from reaching the areas targeted by airstrikes, where many have been buried under the rubble.

Since the outbreak of the war, Israeli forces have regularly targeted Jabalia, prompting many of its residents to flee to other areas in Gaza City, the central Gaza Strip, and the south.

The war in the Gaza Strip erupted following an attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the capture of dozens more.