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Middle East conflict

Death toll in Gaza Strip since October 2023 nears 54,900 — health ministry

The ministry added that 126,227 people were wounded

© AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana

CAIRO, June 8. /TASS/. The death toll from Israel’s operations in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 is nearing 54,900, the enclave’s health ministry said.

"The death toll from hostilities in Gaza since October 7, 2023 has climbed to 54,880, with 126,227 people being wounded," the ministry wrote on its Telegram channel, adding that 108 bodies were taken to morgues in the past 24 hours and 393 people were taken to hospitals with wounds.

On March 18, Israel resumed hostilities in the Gaza Strip and delivered a series of strikes on Hamas targets, thus cutting short the ceasefire that had been in place in the enclave since January 2025. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office explained the move by Hamas' rejections of proposals advanced after talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff. It claimed that the goal of the operation was to release all of the Israeli hostages. Hamas placed responsibility for this latest spiral of escalation in Gaza on Israel and the United States.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the start of Operation Gideon's Chariots in the northern and southern parts of the enclave on May 18. Its stated goal is the total defeat of Hamas and the release of all Israeli hostages from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation aims to establish Israeli control of the entire Gaza.

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