KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza well being officers stated Saturday that over 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas struggle to date, as Israel and Hamas accomplished the most recent change of our bodies underneath the phrases of the tenuous ceasefire settlement.
The newest bounce in deaths is attributed to extra our bodies being recovered underneath the rubble within the devastated strip because the ceasefire started on Oct. 10, and likewise as a result of beforehand unidentified our bodies had been recognized. It additionally consists of Palestinians killed by strikes on the territory because the truce took maintain, assaults that Israel says are to take out remaining militants.
Although fragile, the deal seems to be holding, with Israel earlier on Saturday returning the our bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza, in keeping with hospital officers within the strip. The handover got here a day after militants returned the stays of a hostage to Israel.
The exchanges of the lifeless are the central element of the preliminary part of the ceasefire deal, which requires that Hamas return all hostage stays as rapidly as attainable. The truce is aimed toward winding down the deadliest and most damaging struggle ever fought between Israel and the Palestinian militant group.
The Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault on southern Israel killed about 1,200 individuals and noticed 251 taken hostage.
Additionally Saturday, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers, paramedics, activists and journalists within the occupied West Financial institution as settler violence reaches new highs within the territory.
Loss of life toll in Gaza climbs
Almost a month after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, authorities in Gaza proceed to recuperate our bodies amid widespread destruction, utilizing restricted gear and assets.
The Health Ministry in Gaza stated that the overall variety of individuals killed within the Gaza Strip because the Hamas-led assault on Israel Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 69,169, after extra of the lifeless had been ID-ed and extra our bodies had been recovered.
The ministry, a part of the Hamas-run authorities and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed data considered as typically dependable by impartial specialists.
The ministry stated 284 extra individuals had been not too long ago added to the cumulative whole after their identities had been verified between Oct. 31 and Nov. 7.
Additionally, over the previous three days, 10 our bodies had been dropped at Gaza hospitals — 9 retrieved from underneath the rubble and one newly killed — together with six injured, the ministry additionally stated. It added that numerous Palestinians stay lacking.
For the reason that ceasefire started on October 10, a complete of 241 individuals have been killed in Gaza, in keeping with the Health Ministry.
JAAFAR ASHTIYEH through Getty Photographs
Our bodies of hostages remaining in Gaza
Israel confirmed Saturday that the stays given again the earlier evening had been of an Israeli hostage who died whereas preventing Hamas within the militants’ 2023 assault that began the struggle. He was recognized as that of Lior Rudaeff, in keeping with an announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s workplace.
The Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board stated Rudaeff was born in Argentina and moved to Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, a farming group in southern Israel, as a baby. He volunteered for greater than 40 years as an ambulance driver and was a member of the group’s emergency response group.
For every Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the stays of 15 Palestinians. Following the return of Rudaeff, Israel on Saturday handed over the 15 Palestinian our bodies and Nasser Hospital within the central Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis confirmed receiving them.
For the reason that ceasefire began, Palestinian militants have launched the stays of 23 hostages, together with Rudaeff, leaving 5 nonetheless remaining in Gaza. Israel has to date handed over the our bodies of 300 Palestinians.
Gaza well being officers have struggled to determine the our bodies with out entry to DNA kits, and have to date recognized 89 of them, Gaza’s Health Ministry says.
BASHAR TALEB through Getty Photographs
Settlers descend on the Palestinian olive harvest, once more
Palestinian well being officers stated 11 individuals had been injured in an assault by Israeli settlers within the West Financial institution, the most recent as settler violence reaches new highs throughout this yr’s olive harvest.
The U.N. humanitarian workplace has stated that in October, it documented the very best month-to-month variety of Israeli settler assaults on Palestinians and their property within the West Financial institution because the workplace started holding observe in 2006. There have been over 260 assaults, or a median of eight incidents per day, the workplace reported.
Palestinian paramedics stated that journalists, volunteers and farmers had been amongst these injured within the assault on the central city of Beita.
The circumstances of the assault weren’t instantly clear and Israel’s army didn’t reply to a request for remark.
A video of the aftermath circulating in Palestinian media exhibits a person holding a digicam, blood trickling down his face and chest. It then confirmed the within of a hospital, the place a person in a journalist’s vest marked “press” and others with bandages on their heads had been mendacity on the beds.
With settler violence surging within the territory, volunteers and activists have flocked to this yr’s olive harvest to assist Palestinian farmers safely attain and return from their fields. The teams have repeatedly come underneath assault over the previous couple of weeks.
Frankel reported from Jerusalem and Abou AlJoud from Beirut.
