Over 47,000 lives lost in Gaza as ceasefire brings brief relief
Shafaq News/ The death toll in Gaza has reached 47,107 since the beginning of the Israeli war, with numbers continuing to climb as bodies are recovered from the rubble despite a ceasefire implemented on Sunday, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The ceasefire has brought a temporary halt to over 15 months of intense fighting in the Palestinian territory, allowing rescue teams and civilians to access areas previously unreachable.
The ministry reported that 72 bodies were recovered in the past 24 hours, including 68 pulled from beneath the debris, while one person succumbed to earlier injuries.
“A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads,” the ministry stated. “Ambulances and civil protection teams are unable to reach them.”
The number of injured has climbed to 111,147, with the health system in Gaza severely strained by the war. Many fatalities have been attributed to injuries sustained during the height of the conflict, further burdening overwhelmed medical facilities.
In response to the growing death toll, the ministry has urged families of the deceased or missing to register online to assist with the identification of bodies and ensure accurate casualty records.
Notably, a recent report from the Gaza Government Media Office revealed the devastating impact of the 470-day Israeli war on Gaza, which resulted in the destruction of 88% of the territory and material losses estimated at $38 billion.
Entire families were wiped out, with 2,092 families completely erased from civil records, and 4,889 families losing all but one member. The war also left 38,495 children orphaned, 13,901 women widowed, and 3,500 children facing life-threatening malnutrition.
The report further detailed the extensive humanitarian toll, including 4,500 amputees, 15,000 individuals requiring long-term rehabilitation, and the deaths of 12,316 women, 1,155 medical personnel, and 205 journalists. The Israeli army reportedly established mass graves, burying 520 bodies in hospitals.
