The death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has now surpassed 66,000, as per the latest figures released by Gaza's Health Ministry on Sunday. Among the dead were 79 who were brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours, it said.
The ministry, which comes under the administration of Hamas, reported that 66,005 individuals have been murdered and 168,162 injured in Gaza since Hamas opened fire at Israel on October 7, 2023, prompting a military response from Israel.
Though the ministry does not identify the civilian and militant dead, it has said that half of the dead include women and children.
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Israel's attack has levelled large sections of Gaza, forced some 90% of the population to flee and resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian emergency, with experts declaring Gaza City to be in a state of famine.
Despite its affiliation with Hamas, the ministry's data is widely regarded by the United Nations and independent humanitarian experts as a credible estimate of the toll on civilians.
{{/usCountry}}Despite its affiliation with Hamas, the ministry's data is widely regarded by the United Nations and independent humanitarian experts as a credible estimate of the toll on civilians.
{{/usCountry}}The increasing death toll coincides with Israel's military operation in Gaza, unabated.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Washington for scheduled talks with US President Donald Trump on Monday, indicated no short-term change of course, despite mounting international pressure for a ceasefire.
Netanyahu's fiery UN speech
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday, repeatedly invoking the October 7 attacks in Israel and drawing parallels with the September 11 terror strikes in the United States.
Netanyahu stated, "Granting the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after October 7 is akin to granting al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11."
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"This is sheer madness. It's insane, and we won't do it," Netanyahu added, while strongly criticising recent moves by Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state formally.
"You didn't do something right. You did something wrong, horribly wrong," he said, insisting such steps would only embolden further attacks on Jews and "innocent people everywhere."