At least 7 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza; 9 more bodies recovered from rubble
At least 16 Palestinians have been killed or recovered dead in Gaza over the past 48 hours, with seven killed in Israeli attacks and nine pulled from rubble. Ceasefire violations have killed 1,066 since October.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported on Saturday that hospitals across the besieged enclave had received the bodies of 16 Palestinians over the previous two days. Among them, seven were killed in direct Israeli attacks, while nine were recovered from under the rubble of destroyed buildings. An additional 16 people were wounded during the same period. The ministry added that many victims remain trapped under debris, as ambulance and civil defense teams are unable to reach them. No further details on the circumstances of the deaths were provided.
The latest casualties come despite a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect in October. Although large-scale hostilities have largely ceased, Israeli attacks on Palestinians have continued. According to the ministry, Israeli army violations of the truce have killed 1,066 people and wounded 3,445 others since it began.
The overall death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023 has now reached 73,090, with 173,550 wounded, the ministry said. During the nominal ceasefire, the Israeli military has expanded its control inside Gaza and issued forced displacement orders. In late May, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he had instructed the military to extend control to more than 70 percent of the Gaza Strip.
Under the ceasefire agreement, the parties were expected to move to a second phase after Hamas released the remaining captives from the first stage in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. That phase was meant to include Hamas disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal. However, negotiations have stalled for months, with disarmament and the scope of withdrawal remaining key obstacles.
