Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 44,466

Palestinian woman Buthayna Abu Jazar reacts as she holds the hand of her son Hazma, who was killed in an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The health ministry in Gaza said on Monday (December 2, 2024) that at least 44,466 people have been killed in more than 13 months of war between Israel and Palestinian militants.

The toll includes 37 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 105,358 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

The United Nations chief said on Monday (December 2 , 2024) the situation in war-torn Gaza was “appalling and apocalyptic”, warning conditions faced by Palestinians in the territory may amount to the “gravest international crimes”.

In remarks read out on his behalf at a Cairo conference aimed at increasing humanitarian aid, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the international community to “build a foundation for sustainable peace in Gaza and across the Middle East”.

Mr. Guterres highlighted the devastating toll of the conflict and the urgent need for international action.

“Malnutrition is rampant… Famine is imminent. Meanwhile, the health system has collapsed,” he said.

The UN chief added that Gaza now has “the highest number of children amputees per capita anywhere in the world”, with “many losing limbs and undergoing surgeries without even anesthesia”.

The secretary-general also criticised the severe restrictions on aid delivery, calling the current levels “grossly insufficient”.

According to the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) count, only 65 aid trucks per day had been able to enter Gaza this past month, compared to a pre-war average of 500.