Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 49,617 as Israel renews strikes

The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has climbed to 49,617, with 112,950 others injured, as a result of more than 17 months of Israeli military operations, the Gaza health authorities said on Thursday.

Since the latest round of hostilities started on Oct 7, 2023, Israeli forces have conducted sustained military actions in Gaza, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and inflicting heavy casualties.

On Jan 19 this year, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. As part of the first phase of the agreement, the Israeli military allowed residents of the Gaza Strip to cross the Netzarim Corridor at the end of January to return to their homes in northern Gaza.

Israel ended the two-month ceasefire and resumed Gaza bombardment on Tuesday.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had launched a "targeted ground operation" in central and southern Gaza, aiming to create a buffer zone between the northern and southern parts of the Palestinian enclave.

The latest Israeli attacks have killed at least 710 Palestinians and injured 900 others in Gaza since Tuesday, Khalil al-Daqran, a spokesman for Gaza health authorities, said on Thursday.

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 49,617 as Israel renews strikes

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 49,617 as Israel renews strikes

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 49,617 as Israel renews strikes

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 49,617 as Israel renews strikes

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 49,617 as Israel renews strikes

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a statement on Sunday that the militant group was holding meetings with mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The meetings aimed to seek effective solutions to ensure the full implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and its humanitarian provisions, and stop "genocide and assassinations" against Palestinians, the statement said.

It emphasized the need to correct the operational approach of the U.S.-led "Board of Peace," ensuring that it faithfully and impartially implements the ceasefire plan, rather than favoring Israel.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October 2025. Despite the ceasefire, at least 961 Palestinians have been killed and 3,020 others wounded in the enclave since Oct. 11 last year, bringing the total death toll since Oct. 7, 2023 to 72,971.

The Board of Peace is a controversial U.S.-led international organization established in January 2026 by U.S. President Donald Trump. It was primarily designed to manage the postwar governance, ceasefire enforcement, and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas in talks with mediators on implementing Gaza ceasefire deal: spokesperson