Gaza death toll passes 63,000 as Israeli strikes continue

Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a combat zone and recovered the remains of two hostages on Friday as the army launched the start of a planned offensive that has drawn international condemnation.

As the military announced the resumption of fighting, health officials said the death toll in Gaza has risen to 63,025, with 59 deaths reported by hospitals over the last 24 hours.

Aid groups and a church sheltering people said they would stay in Gaza City, refusing to abandon the hungry and displaced.

The shift comes weeks after Israel first announced plans to widen its offensive in the city, where hundreds of thousands are sheltering while enduring famine. In recent days, the military has ramped up strikes on the city's outskirts.

A mourner reacts next to a body during the funeral of Palestinians who were killed by Israeli fire while trying to receive aid on Friday in Gaza. Reuters

Plumes of smoke and thunderous blasts could be seen and heard across the border in southern Israel on Friday morning.

Israel has called Gaza City a Hamas stronghold, alleging that a network of tunnels remain in use despite several previous large-scale raids on the area throughout nearly 23 months of war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel needs to cripple Hamas’ capabilities in the city to avoid a repeat of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.

While United Nations agencies and aid groups condemned the offensive, people in Gaza City said it made little difference.

"The massacres never stopped, even during the humanitarian pauses,” resident Mohamed Aboul Hadi said in a text message from Gaza City.

Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday. AP

Some who fled south were putting together tents Friday in the central Gaza Strip, west of the Nuseirat refugee camp. They spoke of the miserable conditions they have endured.

"We are thrown in the streets like, what would I say? Like dogs? We are not like dogs. Dogs are better than us,” said Mohammed Maarouf standing in front of a shelter for him and his family of nine.

More than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war started, the Gaza Health Ministry said Friday. The ministry’s count - 63,025 - does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. It also said five people had died from malnutrition-related causes over the past 24 hours, raising the toll to 322, including 121 children, since the war began.

Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza Strip move with their belongings on a street in Gaza City, on Friday. AP

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.

Facing international criticism, Israel instituted what it called "tactical pauses” in Gaza City and two other populated areas last month. That paused fighting from 10am to 8pm to allow more aid to get through, though aid groups have said deliveries remained challenging due to blockade, looting and Israeli restrictions.

Associated Press