Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 40,000 as Ceasefire Talks Begin in Doha

Rabat – The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported today a devastating new milestone in the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, officially stating that more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023. The ministry detailed that 40,005 people have lost their lives in Israeli attacks, with an additional 92,401 wounded.

This comes as mediated talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and negotiating a prisoner-release deal have reconvened in Doha. Officials from Qatar, Egypt, the United States, and Israel are attending the talks, though it remains unclear whether Hamas is directly involved, Reuters reported.

Many news agencies reported on Wednesday that Hamas has stated it would not be participating in the new ceasefire talks. The group insisted on adhering to the previously proposed terms and argue that new negotiations would allow Israel to impose additional conditions and prolong the war.

“Going to new negotiations allows the occupation to impose new conditions and employ the maze of negotiation to conduct more massacres,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri was quoted by Reuters as saying.

The Gaza health ministry emphasized the severe toll that Israel’s war has had on vulnerable populations, with 33% of those killed, approximately 16,456, being children.

Hani Mahmoud, Al Jazeera correspondent in Deir el-Balah, said that the true Gaza death toll is “far higher” than reported as many remain unaccounted for, presumed dead. “The number that we’re looking at is conservative. There are still those who are missing, whose whereabouts are unknown by family members. The relatives do not know if their loved ones are detained, buried under the rubble or simply missing,” he explained.

“When the dust settles, we’re going to be shocked by how many people have been killed by this war,” Mahmoud added.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s population is facing challenges to find places to bury their deceased loved ones. With cemeteries overflowing, families have resorted to burying their loved ones, if they are even able to locate their full bodies, in unconventional locations such as backyards, parking lots, and even beneath staircases.

Grave-diggers are often forced to stack graves on top of each other, with many marked only by rubble or plastic placards. This is especially challenging for Gazans who still strive to adhere to the Muslim tradition of burying the deceased properly and as soon as possible, facing Mecca and without being soiled by dirt.

To add to this devastation, war has also disrupted existing burial sites. Israeli forces have damaged or destroyed more than 20 cemeteries through airstrikes and ground offensives, according to Al Jazeera.

While mediators convene in Doha to revive truce talks and secure and hostage-prisoner deal, Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, announced that a fighter guarding an Israeli captive acted “in a vengeful manner” after learning that his two children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike.

The Israeli captive was killed, and two other captives were injured in a separate incident. Taking responsibility, Obeida expressed regret over the incident, stating it did not reflect the group’s ethics or religious teachings, and vowed to tighten control over fighters in similar situations.