Palestinian death toll soars past 25,000 in Gaza with no end in sight to Israel-Hamas war

By Najib Jobain And Samy Magdy, The Associated Press on January 21, 2024.

Men hold up their hands during a prayer at the reception for late Palestinian-American teenager Tawfiq Ajaq, 17, who was killed Friday by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank, at Masjid Omar mosque in Harvey, La., Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. (Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) – The Palestinian death toll in Gaza from over three months of war between Israel and the territory’s Hamas rulers has soared past 25,000, the Gaza Health Ministry said Sunday.

At least 178 bodies were brought to Gaza’s hospitals in 24 hours along with nearly 300 wounded people, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra, a .

The war began with Hamas’ surprise attack into Israel on Oct. 7, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostage, including men, women and children.

Israel responded with a three-week air campaign and then a ground invasion into northern Gaza that flattened entire neighborhoods. Ground operations are now focused on the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza dating back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.

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