By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Two more Palestinians killed as overall Gaza death toll passes 72,000 and Israeli violence continues despite the ceasefire.

Key Developments

• Total Palestinian death toll reaches 72,027 with more than 171,600 injured.
• Two Palestinians killed and 25 wounded in the last 24 hours.
• 576 Palestinians killed since the October 2025 ceasefire.
• Israeli gunfire, shelling and demolitions reported across Gaza.
• Nearly half of essential medicines depleted as health system nears collapse.

Death Toll Continues to Rise

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza announced that the cumulative death toll from Israel’s war on the enclave has reached 72,027 Palestinians killed and more than 171,651 wounded since October 7, 2023.

According to the ministry, hospitals in the Strip received the bodies of two Palestinians and treated 25 injured people within the past 24 hours alone. Officials added that a number of victims remain trapped beneath rubble or lying in roads because ambulance and civil defense teams are unable to reach them due to destruction and the absence of equipment and fuel.

These daily casualty updates have become routine even after the ceasefire agreement, illustrating the continuing danger faced by residents across the territory.

Since the ceasefire entered into force on October 11, 2025, at least 576 Palestinians have been killed, 1,543 injured and 717 bodies recovered from destroyed areas.

Violence During the ‘Ceasefire’

Field reports show that Israeli military actions continue across Gaza.

Medical sources said Israeli gunfire killed 30-year-old Faraj Ibrahim Salem in the She’jaiya neighborhood east of Gaza City — an area from which Israeli troops had previously withdrawn under the ceasefire terms. Witnesses said he was shot outside designated military deployment zones.

Earlier the same day, Israeli artillery shelled multiple areas east of Gaza City and east of Jabaliya in the northern Strip. Demolition operations were also carried out east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, damaging structures and forcing families to flee again.

While large-scale offensives have paused, shootings, shelling and incursions continue, creating what Palestinians describe as a constant low-level war.

The ceasefire therefore halted full-scale combat but did not end lethal violence. Civilians remain at risk while agricultural lands, roads and infrastructure continue to be damaged.

Displacement and Recovery Delayed

The continuation of attacks has prevented meaningful recovery in Gaza.

Families who returned to damaged homes after the truce often flee again following new strikes or demolition operations. Many now live in repeated cycles of displacement, moving between shelters, tents and destroyed neighborhoods.

Humanitarian teams say reconstruction cannot begin under such conditions because areas remain unsafe and heavy equipment cannot operate freely. Rubble removal alone is expected to take years, while thousands of bodies are still believed to lie beneath collapsed buildings.

Water networks, sewage systems and electricity grids remain largely destroyed, forcing residents to rely on limited aid deliveries and improvised infrastructure. Even temporary repairs frequently fail due to renewed attacks or lack of materials.

Hamas Statement

Amid this environment, political disputes over governance have further delayed relief.

Hamas renewed its call for international pressure to allow an independent national committee designated to administer Gaza to enter the territory and begin humanitarian operations.

Spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the movement had completed all necessary procedures to transfer governmental authority to the committee, which includes representatives from factions, civil society and international actors overseeing the handover process.

He stated that failure by mediators and international parties to enable the committee’s entry undermines confidence in discussions about calm and reconstruction, particularly while Israel continues to avoid implementing obligations under the ceasefire.

Without a functioning governing body inside Gaza, aid distribution and service restoration remain fragmented, leaving municipalities and humanitarian agencies struggling to coordinate basic services.

Health System Collapse

The humanitarian situation is compounded by the near collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system.

The Health Ministry warned that remaining hospitals have effectively become waiting stations for thousands of wounded and sick patients. After two years of a genocidal war and blockade, the medical sector faces what officials described as a catastrophic shortage of supplies.

According to the ministry:

• 46% of essential medicines are completely unavailable.
• 66% of medical consumables are depleted.
• 84% of laboratory and blood bank materials have run out.

Cancer treatments, surgeries, intensive care and primary healthcare services are among the most severely affected sectors.

Doctors report performing procedures without anesthesia, postponing operations indefinitely and prioritizing only life-saving emergencies. Chronic disease patients often receive no treatment at all.

Even basic painkillers have become scarce, leaving injured civilians in severe suffering. The ministry warned that limited medical shipments entering Gaza cannot meet actual needs and that temporary emergency measures will not prevent long-term collapse.

It issued urgent appeals to regional and international bodies, warning additional delays will lead to further preventable deaths.

(PC, Al-Mayadeen, AJA, QNN, WAFA)