Health Ministry reports over 50,000 deaths in Gaza

The Health Ministry in Gaza has reported that at least 41 people were killed and 61 others injured in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours.

With these latest casualties, the total number of Palestinians killed since the conflict began 17 months ago has risen to 50,021, while the number of wounded has reached 113,274, according to the ministry. Many victims remain trapped under the rubble, with rescuers unable to reach them.

Earlier today, an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza killed Hamas political leader Salah al-Bardaweel, according to officials from the group. Residents reported an escalation in Israel’s ongoing military offensive, now in its sixth day. Pro-Hamas media stated that Bardaweel and his wife were killed in the airstrike on Khan Younis. Israeli officials have not yet commented on the incident.

Taher Al-Nono, media adviser to Hamas’ leadership, confirmed Bardaweel’s death in a Facebook post.

After two months of relative calm, Israeli forces launched a new wave of air and ground assaults on Tuesday, effectively ending a previous ceasefire. Explosions rocked northern, central, and southern Gaza on Sunday as Israeli planes struck multiple targets.

Health officials reported that at least 30 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes on Rafah and Khan Younis, including three municipal workers. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an evacuation warning for residents of the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood in western Rafah, stating that Israeli forces were targeting “terrorist organizations” in the area.

In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of assassinating Bardaweel while he was praying in a tent shelter with his wife. The group vowed that their deaths would continue to fuel the struggle for liberation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that the war’s primary goal is to dismantle Hamas as both a military force and a governing entity. He stated that the latest offensive aims to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages.

Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday also killed Hamas’ de facto government head, Essam Addalees, and internal security chief Mahmoud Abu Watfa, along with several other officials. Palestinian health authorities reported that at least 400 people, more than half of them women and children, were killed that day.

Medical sources in Gaza said an Israeli airstrike targeted a house in Rafah, wounding multiple residents.

Hamas has accused Israel of violating the January ceasefire agreement by refusing to engage in negotiations for ending the war and withdrawing troops from Gaza. However, the group stated it remains open to talks and is considering mediation proposals from U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

The resumption of heavy airstrikes and ground operations has led to renewed international calls for a ceasefire. Britain, France, and Germany issued a joint statement urging Israel to restore humanitarian access to Gaza.

Israel has blocked the entry of goods into Gaza, while Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser, Ophir Falk, accused Hamas of diverting aid for its own use—an allegation Hamas has previously denied.

The conflict began after Hamas launched an attack on Israeli communities near Gaza on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages, according to Israeli reports.

Since then, Israeli military operations have resulted in the deaths of more than 49,000 Palestinians, devastated large parts of Gaza, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people into makeshift shelters and tent camps.

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