GAZA CITY: The health ministry in Gaza said on Monday that at least 43,020 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign in the besieged enclave since October 7, 2023.
The toll includes 96 deaths in the previous 48 hours, according to the health ministry, which said 101,110 people have been injured in the Gaza Strip in the year-long Israeli bombardment campaign.
The latest escalation saw Israeli forces pushing deeper into the densely populated north Gaza, particularly in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun, where an estimated 100,000 civilians are reportedly trapped without essential supplies, according to the Palestinian emergency service.
An Israeli military operation in Kamal Adwan Hospital, located in the Jabalia refugee camp, led to the detainment of approximately 100 people.
The situation for residents in northern Gaza remains dire, with schools and other emergency shelters becoming targets of Israeli forces. Civilians have reportedly been forced to move from the north to Gaza City and southern regions. Some displaced residents expressed their desire to stay within Gaza City, fearing that relocation to southern areas may mean a permanent loss of access to their homes.
Meanwhile, hospitals across the northern Gaza region are struggling to remain operational amid Israeli demands for evacuation. Medical, food, and fuel supplies have been exhausted, and damage to facilities from Israeli strikes has compounded the crisis.
The health ministry reported that only one paediatrician remains at Kamal Adwan Hospital, with other medical staff allegedly expelled by Israeli forces. Tragically, deaths have been reported in these facilities due to the absence of necessary treatments.
Meanwhile, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar resumed talks on Sunday to negotiate a temporary truce. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi proposed an initial two-day ceasefire to facilitate a prisoner exchange — offering four Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian detainees — with a view to initiating permanent ceasefire negotiations. However, no agreement has been reached as both Israel and Hamas continue to maintain irreconcilable conditions.
