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Saturday, November 29, 2025
As bodies continue to be pulled from the rubble, Hamas-run health ministry says Gaza death toll passed 70,000
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The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip announces that the number of people killed in the past two years of war with Israel inside the enclave has passed the 70,000 mark.
A total of 301 people have been added to the toll since Thursday, taking it to 70,100, the ministry says. Two died in recent Israeli strikes, the rest were identified from remains buried for some time in the rubble, according to the statement.
The figure does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, and cannot be independently verified.
The reported death toll has continued climbing despite the fragile ceasefire that took hold on October 10, as authorities have been able to take advantage of the relative calm to search for bodies in the wreckage.
In the first months of the war, officials counted bodies that arrived in hospitals and registered names and identity numbers to keep track of the death toll.
In the later stages, Gaza’s Hamas-run health authorities said they held off on including thousands of reported deaths in the official tally until forensic, medical, and legal checks can be made.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.