Gaza Death Toll Climbs to Over 61,000 as Missing Presumed Dead
The death toll in Gaza from Israel’s ongoing conflict has surpassed 61,000, according to authorities in the enclave, who have added thousands of missing persons now presumed dead, Al Jazeera reports.
The grim update comes as a fragile ceasefire holds, allowing for more extensive rescue and recovery efforts.
The head of the Gaza Government Information Office announced at a press conference that the bodies of 76% of the Palestinians killed in the conflict have been recovered and taken to medical centers. However, at least 14,222 people are still believed to be trapped under rubble or in areas inaccessible to rescuers.
The updated figures follow a temporary halt to fighting in Gaza, which had seen 15 months of conflict after an assault on southern Israel by Hamas in October 2023 that killed about 1,200 and took 250 people back to Gaza as captives.
The ceasefire, which is set to continue until at least early March, has enabled Palestinian rescuers to reach previously inaccessible areas of Gaza.
In addition to the high civilian death toll, authorities in Gaza have reported significant losses among health, humanitarian, and media workers. At least 1,155 medical personnel, 205 journalists, and 194 civil defense workers have reportedly been killed during Israel’s assault.
Negotiations are set to begin today, moving into the second phase of the three-phase ceasefire agreement. This phase aims to establish a path toward a permanent end to the conflict. Mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are expected to lead the talks between Israel and Hamas. However, if an agreement cannot be reached, fighting could resume in March.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently in Washington, D.C., for meetings that include US President Donald Trump, faces pressure from far-right allies to cut the ceasefire short and resume military operations.
Netanyahu has said that his discussions with Trump will focus on “victory over Hamas, achieving the release of all our hostages, and dealing with the Iranian terror axis” in the Middle East. Netanyahu, alongside other Israeli officials and Hamas leaders, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.
