50,000 killed in Gaza since start of Israel-Hamas war, health ministry says

(CNN) — More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s war with Hamas began, the territory’s health ministry said Sunday, a grim milestone for a war with no end in sight as Israel resumes fighting and warns of even tougher days ahead.

The ministry on Sunday reported 41 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the toll to 50,021.

Authorities in Gaza do not distinguish between civilians and Hamas fighters when reporting casualty figures, but the health ministry and the United Nations say the majority of deaths are women and children. And the true toll could be much higher, with many thousands believed to still be under the rubble.

On Monday, the ministry published a list of names of 15,613 children under the age of 18 who it said had been killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza. Among them, 890 children were under the age of 1, and 274 were born and died during the war. Almost a quarter, 26%, were under the age of 5.

The Israeli military told CNN that the Hamas-controlled ministry’s figures are “replete with inconsistencies and false determinations,” adding that the ministry tends to “record deaths unrelated to the conflict, such as natural deaths.”

The Israel Defense Forces added that it is “committed to mitigating civilian harm during operational activity in strict accordance to international law,” and that it “distinguishes between civilians and combatants as required by its legal obligations and entrenched values.”

The death toll surged as Israel resumed its war with Hamas last week, ending a two-month ceasefire in Gaza. Tuesday’s renewed airstrikes made it one of the deadliest days for Palestinians since the war began, with more than 400 killed by Israeli fire, according to the health ministry. By Wednesday, Israel had also resumed its ground operation in the enclave.

Israel launched a war on Hamas in Gaza on October 7, 2023, following the militant group’s surprise attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage, according to Israeli authorities.

Hamas called the latest offensive a “new and dangerous breach” of the ceasefire agreement. The militant group says it is committed to the ceasefire agreement it signed with Israel in January, but on Thursday fired its first rockets at Israel since the truce collapsed.

Gazans are left with little hope that the killing will slow as Israeli officials warn that what’s to come will be significantly worse.

Defense Minister Israel Katz last week warned Hamas that Israel will maintain a permanent presence in parts of Gaza unless the hostages in Gaza are released.

Katz said Friday that he’d instructed the Israeli military “to seize additional areas in Gaza, while evacuating the population, and to expand the security zones around Gaza in order to protect Israeli communities and IDF soldiers through permanent maintenance of the territory by Israel.”

Soon after the renewed campaign began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “I want to assure you: This is just the beginning.”

Almost all of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million has been displaced from their homes. The enclave’s healthcare system has been severely damaged, with hospitals often becoming the center of fighting. A humanitarian crisis and famine in parts of Gaza are unfolding, as Israel blocked aid from entering Gaza earlier this month and as its latest operation impedes distribution. And the UN on Monday said it would reduce its presence in Gaza – but not leave the enclave entirely – amid the renewed attacks including one on a UN compound that killed a UN worker last week and severely injured six others.

Negotiations to extend the ceasefire have been moribund nearly from the day it went into effect January 19. Hamas has insisted on sticking to the initial framework signed with Israel in January, which would have seen parties move to a second phase on March 1. Under the terms of the second phase, Israel would have had to withdraw entirely from Gaza and commit to a permanent end of the war. In exchange, Hamas would release all living hostages.

The second phase never happened, and Israel resumed the war, citing Hamas’ alleged rejection of “two concrete mediation proposals presented by the US” and its “threats to harm IDF soldiers and Israeli communities” as justification for its attacks on Gaza.

Israel does not dispute that a significant number of Palestinian civilians have been killed in its war in Gaza. It has however long argued that the health ministry’s figures are exaggerated, and that Hamas embeds itself between civilians, using them as “human shields.”

The United Nations and United States State Department have repeatedly said they believe the health ministry’s figures to be accurate, and independent academic studies have estimated that the true toll is likely to be far higher.

CNN cannot independently verify the numbers and the Israeli government does not allow foreign journalists to independently enter Gaza.

CNN’s Mick Krever, Lauren Izso, Abeer Salman, Kareem Khadder, Jo Shelley and Catherine Nicholls contributed reporting.

This story has been updated.

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