Gaza Health: Death toll rises to 73,000 amidst continued field violations

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced today, Tuesday, an increase in the cumulative death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression since October 7, 2023, to 73,326 martyrs, in addition to 173,997 people injured with varying degrees of severity. Medical sources clarified that the past twenty-four hours alone witnessed the martyrdom of 9 people, two of whom died from their previous injuries, while hospitals received 36 new injuries.

Regarding the details of the field violations, the ministry indicated that the total number of victims of recorded violations since the announcement of the ceasefire agreement in October 2025 has reached 1,200 martyrs and 3,888 injured. Specialized teams also managed to recover the bodies of 803 martyrs from under the rubble of destroyed buildings in various areas, while hundreds of missing persons remain trapped in inaccessible places due to direct targeting.

On the ground, occupation forces continued for the 290th consecutive day to violate the truce agreement through a wide-ranging military escalation that included air raids and intense artillery shelling. An Israeli drone targeted a civilian vehicle south of Deir al-Balah, leading to the martyrdom of two Palestinians and the injury of others, coinciding with three air raids by warplanes targeting the Al-Matahen area.

In Khan Yunis Governorate, medical sources announced the martyrdom of citizen Suleiman Tayseer Sahmoud, who succumbed to his severe injuries after being directly targeted near 'Street 5'. The city's skies are witnessing intensive and low-altitude flights of reconnaissance drones, accompanied by artillery shelling targeting the eastern neighborhoods of the city, causing panic among displaced persons and those returning to inspect their homes.

In the central part of the Strip, medical teams recorded a woman being shot in the head while inside her tent in the Nuseirat camp, due to random gunfire from occupation vehicles. This injury is part of a series of direct targeting of displaced persons' tents and shelters, which lack the minimum safety requirements amidst continuous artillery and aerial bombardment.

Gaza City witnessed a similar escalation, with heavy artillery continuously targeting the eastern neighborhoods of the city since the early morning hours. Occupation aircraft also dropped flare bombs over the northern areas of the city, coinciding with military vehicle movements on the outskirts, indicating the continuation of military operations despite previously announced truce understandings.

In the northwestern and southern areas of the Strip, occupation forces carried out extensive demolition operations of residential blocks and citizens' homes, resulting in massive explosions heard throughout the northern governorates. These operations coincide with intense artillery shelling targeting the northwestern areas of Rafah City, causing complete destruction of public and private property.

The Ministry of Health affirmed that ambulance and civil defense teams still face extreme difficulties in recovering victims from under the rubble or from rugged roads. This is due to the direct targeting of ambulances and preventing them from reaching conflict areas, which increases the likelihood of a higher death toll due to severe bleeding or lack of immediate medical care in the field.

Humanitarian suffering continues in the Gaza Strip with ongoing military operations affecting the already dilapidated infrastructure, amidst international warnings of a worsening health catastrophe. Human rights organizations demand the occupation to adhere to the terms of the truce agreement, cease targeting unarmed civilians, and ensure the delivery of medical aid and fuel necessary to operate the remaining hospitals in the Strip.

Many victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, with ambulance and civil defense teams unable to reach them.