The health ministry in the Gaza Strip, operated by Hamas, has announced that the death toll from the ongoing conflict with Israel has surpassed 70,000. This increase includes both recent casualties from Israeli strikes and bodies recovered from rubble, some of which had been buried for an extended period. The ministry's figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, and independent verification remains unavailable. Despite a fragile ceasefire in place since October, the death toll continues to rise as authorities are able to conduct more thorough searches for remains.