More than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza health officials say

By NAJIB JOBAIN and SAM MAGDY
Associated Press

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip say more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas. The figure amounts to nearly 1% of the territory’s prewar population. It is a new reflection of the staggering cost of the war. Over 10 weeks, the conflict has displaced more than 80% of Gaza’s people and devastated wide swaths of the tiny coastal enclave. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Friday it has documented 20,057 deaths in the fighting. It does not differentiate between combatant and civilian deaths. Israel declared war after Hamas militants stormed across the border on Oct. 7 and killed some 1,200 people and kidnapped 240 others.