Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday that hospitals received 122 more bodies as Palestinians continue to dig the remains of people killed by Israel’s bombing campaign out of the rubble on the fifth day of the ceasefire.
The Health Ministry said that 120 of the bodies were dug out of the rubble, and two Palestinians were killed in the previous 24-hour period. Gaza’s Civil Defense reported that two Palestinians were killed by Israeli tank fire in the south despite the ceasefire.
The ministry also said 306 Palestinians arrived at hospitals with injuries in the same 24-hour period. The fresh bodies brought the ministry’s number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since October 2023 to 47,283, and the number of wounded has risen to 111,472.
The numbers only account for dead and wounded Palestinians brought to hospitals, so each body pulled out of the rubble will be added to the death toll, although it’s unclear if each one is counted. Gaza rescue workers estimate 10,000 bodies remain under the rubble.
A recent study published by The Lancet said that the Health Ministry’s numbers are likely a significant undercount and that the real death toll as of October 2024 was likely over 70,000. The study only accounted for violent deaths, not those caused by the US-backed Israeli siege.
Al Jazeera reported that during the first four days of the ceasefire, 3,200 trucks had entered Gaza, a significant surge in deliveries. But there have been issues with distribution, and Palestinians are still suffering greatly due to the lack of real shelter and the total destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure.
