Gaza's Health Ministry reported on Tuesday that five people were killed in the past 24 hours, including one newly reported fatality, while three others were wounded, as the enclave faces severe humanitarian conditions despite an ongoing ceasefire. The ministry noted that the overall toll since the war's outbreak on October 7, 2023, has reached 70,942 dead and 171,195 wounded.
Gaza's Health Ministry announced that five people were killed in the past 24 hours, including one fatality newly reported, with three others wounded, amid ongoing severe humanitarian challenges in the enclave despite the ceasefire. According to the ministry, 406 people have been killed and 1,118 injured since the ceasefire began, while 653 bodies have been recovered from under rubble. The overall death toll since the war started on October 7, 2023, now stands at 70,942 killed and 171,195 wounded.
The ministry recorded a new death from a building collapse, bringing the total fatalities in such incidents linked to a recent winter storm to 16. Widespread destruction and a lack of adequate shelter have increased risks to civilians, especially in harsh weather. Medical officials warned that Gaza's health system is on the verge of collapse, with chronic illness patients facing life-threatening conditions due to acute shortages of essential medicines and restrictions on travel for treatment abroad. Mohammed Abu Afash, head of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society in Gaza, stated that around 1,200 Palestinian patients have died after being unable to access or complete necessary medical care.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor accused Israel of using winter conditions as an additional pressure tactic on Gaza's population and urged urgent international intervention to allow entry of temporary housing and shelter supplies. The group noted that the ceasefire, now in its third month, has failed to significantly alleviate the humanitarian crisis after more than two years of war. Separately, the Palestinian government warned against attempts to alter land records in Gaza or illegally transfer ownership of public and private property, stating that the Palestinian Land Authority holds complete copies of Gaza's registries in Ramallah and will nullify any such transactions under current conditions.
Political tensions have escalated, with Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem describing remarks by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz as a serious breach of the ceasefire agreement. Katz had indicated that Israel would not fully withdraw from Gaza and would establish settlement nuclei in the northern areas evacuated during the 2005 disengagement. Meanwhile, mediators are pushing talks for the ceasefire's second phase, with reports that Israel may accept a Turkish role in Gaza under conditions, including moderated statements from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
