Palestinian death toll in Gaza war rises above 74,000 since the war began and other Mideast news

The Palestinian death toll from the nearly three-year Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 74,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

While a ceasefire that took effect last Oct. 10 has halted the heaviest fighting, Israeli strikes have continued in what the military has said are responses to threats or attacks.

Here is a look at the latest news from the Middle East on Sunday.

Gaza’s Health Ministry on Saturday said the Palestinian death toll has risen to 74,016 people, with 175,068 wounded. The war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants invaded Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage.

Since the ceasefire, 1,145 Palestinians have been killed, said the ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government. It maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half the toll.

Meanwhile, seven Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.

Other aspects of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire remain largely stalled. Israeli forces now control over half of the Palestinian territory, Hamas has not disarmed, a new Palestinian government has not arrived and reconstruction has not yet begun.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas disarms.

This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

Palestinians walk along a street surrounded by war-damaged buildings in Gaza City, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Women walk along a street surrounded by tents sheltering displaced Palestinians, in Gaza City, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians are seen amid war-damaged buildings in Gaza City, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers recovered more bodies from the wreck of a ferry that capsized in the Java Sea two weeks ago, bringing the death toll to 64.

A search operation for 71 people still missing, all presumed dead, has been extended for seven days, the National Search and Rescue Agency’s Operation Director Yudhi Bramantyo.

The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members when it lost contact with its operator after departing Surabaya for Borneo island. Only 108 people have been rescued.

Rescue teams recovered four bodies from inside the submerged vessel on Friday, while seven more were found along nearby shorelines, Bramantyo said. The operation will be evaluated every three days to decide whether it should continue. Under Indonesian regulations, search-and-rescue operations typically last seven days but can be extended if authorities believe additional victims may still be found.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel.

Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), rescuers remove the body of a victim of a ferry capsize earlier this month, from a helicopter upon arrival in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (BASARNAS via AP)

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), rescuers carry the body of a victim of a ferry capsize earlier this month, upon arrival in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (BASARNAS via AP)