The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 56,000 since the start of the war in October, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which also reported over 131,000 wounded amid ongoing Israeli attacks.

Heavy Toll Since War Resumed in March

The health ministry stated Tuesday that 56,077 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s attacks began on October 7, 2023. It noted that 5,759 of those deaths occurred after Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire.

Since then, intense bombardment and ground operations have continued across various parts of the enclave.

Civilian Casualties Mount, Ministry Says

The ministry emphasized that more than half of the dead were women and children. The ministry added that many victims remain under rubble or in areas unreachable by medical teams due to ongoing hostilities.

The total number of wounded stands at 131,848.

Access and Verification Challenges

Due to the scale of destruction and restricted humanitarian access, many casualties are believed to go unrecorded. International observers and relief agencies have previously expressed concern about the difficulty in verifying figures under active conflict conditions but have acknowledged the high civilian cost of the conflict.