Palestinian death toll in Israeli Attack crosses 71,800 since the war began as 23 more killed on Wednesday

The attacks, which hit homes, tents and densely populated neighbourhoods, with civilians paying the price in Gaza.

 Israel said the strikes were in response to a militant attack that seriously wounded one Israeli soldier. But for Palestinians, such justifications ring hollow as the death toll mounts. Since the ceasefire came into force on 10 October 2025, Israeli fire has repeatedly punctured the truce, leaving many in Gaza saying it feels meaningless. Among those killed on Wednesday were five children, seven women and an on-duty paramedic, hospital officials said.

 Israel has strongly rejected accusations of genocide. The largely one-sided war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, reportedly killing 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and abducting 251 others, according to Israeli authorities.

 Gaza health officials say 556 Palestinians have been killed and 1,500 wounded by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect. Israel’s military says four Israeli soldiers have died during the same period.

 Israel insists its continued strikes respond to Hamas violations or militant attacks. Yet civilians have borne the brunt. Eight Arab and Muslim countries, including ceasefire mediators Egypt and Qatar, have condemned what they described as Israel’s “repeated violations” of the agreement.

 More than 71,800 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. While run by the Hamas-led administration, its casualty figures are considered broadly reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.

 As Israeli strikes continue to kill children, families and aid workers, anger is mounting in Gaza and beyond that the so-called ceasefire has become little more than a diplomatic fig leaf for ongoing devastation.