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The ministry updated its toll from the ongoing 15-month conflict
on Thursday. It says 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and
109,378 wounded.
The ministry has said women and children make up more than half
the fatalities, but does not say how many of the dead were
fighters or civilians.
The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants,
without providing evidence. It says it tries to avoid harming
civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the
militants operate in residential areas. Israel has also
repeatedly struck what it says are militants hiding in shelters
and hospitals, often killing women and children.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on
Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and
abducting around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza.
Israeli authorities believe at least a third of them were killed
in the initial attack or have died in captivity.
The war has flattened large areas of Gaza and displaced around
90% of its 2.3 million people, with many forced to flee multiple
times. Hundreds of thousands are packed into sprawling tent
camps along the coast with limited access to food and other
essentials.
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