Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday that over the previous 24-hour period, hospitals in Gaza received 43 more bodies of Palestinians killed by “Israeli aggression,” including 42 that were recovered from the rubble and one who died of previously sustained wounds.
The other Palestinians died due to previously sustained wounds. The bodies have brought the Health Ministry’s death toll since October 2023 to 47,460, which is considered a significant undercount. A study published by The Lancet said the true death toll as of October 2024 was likely over 70,000, which only includes Palestinians killed by violence, not indirect deaths caused by the US-backed Israeli siege.
Palestinians have continued to be killed by Israeli forces despite the ceasefire, although at a significantly lower rate than before. Since the truce came into effect on January 19, more than 80 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.
Also, on Thursday, Hamas confirmed that its military leader, Mohammed Deif, was dead. The Israeli military claimed it killed Deif, who led the al-Qassam Brigades, about six months ago, but it wasn’t confirmed by Hamas until now. “We mourn the martyrdom of our leader, Mohammed Deif, to our great people,” said al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida.
Obeida also listed the names of other senior commanders who had been killed by Israel. While Hamas’s leadership has taken a blow, according to US intelligence, the Palestinian group has recruited about as many fighters as it had lost.
Back in November 2023, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the highest ranking US military officer, warned that Israel’s killing of so many civilians would create more Hamas members. Despite Brown recognizing this reality, the US continued to provide huge amounts of military aid to Israel to support the slaughter.
