Gaza death toll tops 74,000 as war hits three-year mark

Three years after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 started the war, Gaza's Ministry of Health says more than 74,245 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave. That count includes 1,462 people killed since a ceasefire took effect in October 2025. United Nations figures cited by Al Jazeera describe a territory where most people live in tents, few have reliable water and the economy has largely collapsed.aljazeera

The anniversary falls days before the ceasefire's first anniversary on October 10. HuffPost reported that progress on the deal has stalled while Israeli strikes continue and aid stays limited.aol

A toll still climbing

The death count has kept rising during the truce. The ministry reported 73,356 killed and 174,185 injured as of August 2, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA. In January the UN humanitarian office put the toll at 71,667 killed and 171,343 injured. Researchers think the official numbers are too low. A household survey published in The Lancet Global Health estimated 75,200 violent deaths through January 5, 2025, about 35% more than the ministry recorded for that period.aljazeera+2

Homes, water, schools and hospitals

The UN said in September that 94% of Gaza's population still urgently needed shelter and basic household assistance, and that 65% of households were living in tents or makeshift shelters. In early August, 91% of assessed households faced moderate-to-high water insecurity, up from 84% in June. Gaza still has no working electricity grid.aljazeera

UNICEF says nearly 98% of schools have been damaged or destroyed. As of April, about 700,000 children had missed almost three straight years of in-person classes. All 36 hospitals have been damaged, and according to the World Health Organization only 19 are working, none at full capacity. About 12,400 patients have been evacuated for treatment abroad since October 2023.aljazeera

Dr. Murad Asaliyya of Doctors Without Borders said most people "have less than 1.5 gallons of water per day," and that his teams are treating hepatitis, scabies and respiratory infections while medical supplies run short.aol

An economy in ruins and a shrinking map

The UN Conference on Trade and Development estimated in September that 92% of Gaza's economic establishments had been damaged or destroyed and that unemployment had reached 78%. GDP per capita was 212 dollars in 2025, about 17% of its 2022 level. Prices remain around 200% above pre-war levels.aljazeera

Israel now controls about 70% of the Strip behind the so-called Yellow Line, so more than two million people are crowded into less than a third of the territory, according to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. The WHO's representative for Palestine, Dr. Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, warned that with winter coming, "almost two million people are in need of shelter to protect against the cold and the risk of flooding."aol+1