Over 61,700 Palestinians killed in Israel’s genocidal war, local authorities say

GAZA CITY, Palestine

At least 61,709 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, local authorities said on Sunday.

“Only 47,487 bodies were transferred to hospitals, while 14,222 remained missing under the rubble,” Salama Marouf, who heads Gaza’s government media office, told a news conference in Gaza City.

He said the victims included 17,881 children, including 214 newborn babies.

“More than 38,000 Palestinian children were orphaned by the Israeli war,” Marouf said.

According to the local official, at least 1,155 medical personnel, 205 journalists, and 194 civil defense workers were also killed during the Israeli onslaught, which also damaged more than 450,000 housing units.

“More than 6,000 Palestinians were detained by the Israeli forces and dozens of them were tortured to death in detention,” he added.

“Over 2 million Palestinians were forcibly displaced, with many forced to relocate more than 25 times amid absence of essential services,” Salama said.

On Jan. 19, the first six-week phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel went into effect, halting Tel Aviv’s genocidal war.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.