Gaza death toll surpasses 73,000 as Israeli strikes continue despite ceasefire
The death toll in Gaza from the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 73,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The updated figure of 73,001 was reported on June 14, 2026, as Israeli strikes continued despite a ceasefire deal reached in October 2025.
Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Ministry's records department, and Hamza Salem from its public relations department confirmed the toll. On June 14, the Ministry reported five deaths: two in the southern city of Khan Younis, one in central Gaza, and two who succumbed to earlier injuries. Over 173,200 people have been wounded since the war began.
The conflict was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. The subsequent Israeli military campaign has caused widespread destruction in Gaza.
The Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains records considered generally reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. The Ministry does not distinguish between civilian and militant deaths but states that women and children account for about half of all fatalities.
Israel maintains that it seeks to avoid civilian casualties and attributes deaths to Hamas's practice of operating in densely populated areas. The Israeli military said it carries out strikes against militants who pose a threat and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the June 13 strike that killed two Palestinians in Khan Younis, as reported by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire, reached in October 2025, ended full-scale military operations and led to the return of all remaining hostages. However, other elements of the agreement have stalled. Hamas has refused to disarm, and Israeli troops have advanced rather than withdrawn. Both sides accuse each other of violating the deal but maintain it is still in effect. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began.
