Gaza's Death Toll Crosses 70,000 As Bodies Identified In Rubble Amid Fragile Ceasefire

Last Updated:November 29, 2025, 23:42 IST

A total of 301 people were added to the toll since Thursday as people identified bodies buried in the rubble for some time, while Israeli strikes continue despite a ceasefire.

Gaza has been reduced to ruins due to Israel's devastating bombardment after the October 7, 2023, attacks.

Despite a fragile truce brokered by the US between Israel and Hamas, the number of people confirmed killed in Gaza since the beginning of Israel’s military offensive in October 2023 has crossed the 70,000 mark, according to the enclave’s health ministry.

A total of 301 people were added to the toll since Thursday as Israeli strikes continue, taking the overall death count to 70,100. Two people died in the recent Israeli strikes, while the rest were identified from remains buried for some time in the rubble, as per the Gaza ministry.

The Israeli military said it killed two people who crossed into an Israeli-controlled area, “conducted suspicious activities" and approached troops. However, Gaza’s Nasser Hospital said they were Palestinian children, aged 8 and 11.

Israel’s bombardment of Gaza was triggered by the deadly Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people in Israel. The ensuing Israeli response has left much of the strip in ruins and triggered a widespread humanitarian crisis.

Bodies Found In Rubble

The devastating offensive has also made it difficult to gather accurate information on casualties. In the first months of the war, officials counted bodies that arrived in hospitals and registered names and identity numbers. In the later stages, Gaza health authorities said they held off including thousands of reported deaths in the official tally until forensic, medical and legal checks could be made.

Since a fragile ceasefire took hold on October 10, the reported death toll in Gaza has kept climbing steadily as authorities there take advantage of the relative calm to search for bodies in the wreckage. Several families have been shattered due to Israel’s retaliatory action.

At the start of the latest ceasefire, militants were holding 20 living hostages and 28 bodies of deceased captives. Hamas has since released all the living hostages and returned the remains of 26 dead hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and the bodies of hundreds of dead Palestinians.

Palestinian Militants Found Dead

On Friday, the Israeli Army said it had found the bodies of nine Palestinian militants recently killed in its attempts to dismantle the tunnel network in the southern Gaza Strip. During operations in eastern Rafah, soldiers “located nine additional terrorists who had been eliminated in the underground terror infrastructure," the army said.

On Wednesday, Hamas called on mediating countries to pressure Israel to allow safe passage for fighters holed up in southern Gaza tunnels, the first time the Islamist group had publicly acknowledged the situation. Both sides have frequently accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, a US blueprint outlining the future of Gaza is still in the early stages. The plan to secure and govern the territory authorises an international stabilisation force to provide security, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by US President Donald Trump and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state.

(with inputs from agencies)

News world Gaza's Death Toll Crosses 70,000 As Bodies Identified In Rubble Amid Fragile Ceasefire

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