The death toll from Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 69,785, with 170,965 wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry said ten people were brought to Gaza hospitals in the past 24 hours, including two newly killed and eight whose bodies were recovered from beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings. It added that since the ceasefire announced on 11 October, a total of 347 people have been killed and 889 injured, while 596 bodies have been retrieved from the debris during the same period. The ministry said it had received 15 additional bodies via the International Committee of the Red Cross, bringing the total number of bodies handed over to 345, of which 99 have been identified. Medical teams continue the process of documenting and preparing the remains for handover to families. The ministry warned of an unprecedented collapse of Gaza's health system, reporting that 54 percent of essential medicines are unavailable, while 40 percent of emergency drugs have completely run out. It said 82 percent of infants under one year are suffering from anaemia, and 18,100 patients are awaiting permission to travel for treatment. Medical supplies are at their lowest levels ever recorded in Gaza, with 71% of items unavailable due to Israeli restrictions. On the issue of captives and bodies, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the group's handover of the body of an Israeli soldier is part of its "commitment to fully completing the exchange process," urging mediators to pressure Israel to halt the war and abide by the agreements reached. As winter approaches, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said thousands of displaced families in Gaza are struggling to find safe shelter in increasingly cold conditions. The agency said the displaced "have no option but to erect makeshift tents," stressing that additional shelter materials are urgently needed. More than 79,000 displaced people are now living in 85 UNRWA-run shelters, where humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate. In the West Bank, Islamic Jihad said Israel's military operation constitutes a "systematic assault" aimed at emptying the territory of its Palestinian population. The group said the escalation coincides with Israeli efforts to advance legislation enabling settlers to claim Palestinian land. Hamas said the operation exposes Israel's attempt to impose "full control" over the West Bank, describing it as part of broader plans for annexation and forced displacement. At the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated that Palestinians have a right to dignity, justice and self-determination "like all peoples of the world." He said the creation of a Palestinian state is "an inherent right" and called for an end to what he described as the "unlawful occupation" of Palestinian territory. He affirmed that the UN would "never retreat from its commitment to the Palestinian people." UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said a new UN report concludes that Israel's war on Gaza has erased "69 years of human development," destroying healthcare systems, schools, infrastructure and even the banking sector, pushing Gaza back decades in development indicators. International agencies warn that continued military operations and declining access to basic services threaten to accelerate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, while expanding Israeli operations in the West Bank fuel further instability across the occupied Palestinian territories.
