Death Toll in Israel-Hamas War Surpasses 45,000

The death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 45,000 people, Palestinian health officials said on Monday.

The death toll, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, reached 45,028 people in the 14-month long war, health officials in the Gaza Strip have said.

The Gazan Health Ministry does not separate civilian and combatant deaths, however they do report that over half the casualties were women and children.

The Israeli military says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence to support the claim.

The current conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an assault on Israel, killing around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking 250 hostages.

The Health Ministry said 106,962 Gazans have been wounded since the start of the current war.

In the latest developments, an Israeli strike killed at least 10 people including a family of four overnight in Gaza City, according to Palestinian medics.

On Monday, people in Gaza’s Nuseirat urban refugee camp mourned the death of an Al Jazeera journalist killed the day before.

Israel also struck missile warehouses overnight around Tartous in Syria, according to a UK-based war monitor, which called it the “most violent strikes” on the area since 2012.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the strikes.

The observatory said “violent explosions” were heard in the coastal city of Tartous after strikes and the launching of ground-to-ground missiles.

Family of Four Killed in Gaza City

A family of four was among those killed overnight in an airstrike, Palestinian medics reported Monday.

The airstrike struck a house in the Shijaiyah neighborhood of eastern Gaza City, according to the Health Ministry’s ambulance and emergency service.

Rescuers pulled 10 bodies from the rubble, including two parents and their two children, the service confirmed.

Israeli Airstrikes in Syria

Israeli troops entered Syria last week and have seized a border buffer zone.

Israel has been striking targets in Syria after the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

The new Syrian administration, led by former insurgents, has complained to the U.N. Security Council about the Israeli bombardment and incursions into Syrian territory.

The administration has said it does not want a military confrontation with Israel.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement Monday, condemning Israel’s plan for expanded settlements in the occupied Golan Heights.

The Ministry described the decision as a “new stage in Israel’s goal of expanding its borders through occupation.”

“The international community must respond decisively to Israel and ensure that the illegal activities of (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s government are brought to an end,” the statement said.

Qatar also condemned the decision, calling it “another chapter in a series of Israeli aggressions on Syrian territories and a clear violation of international law.”

On Sunday, the Israeli government approved Netanyahu’s plan, which aims to encourage population growth in the region.

Israel captured the Golan Heights during the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it, a move recognized only by the U.S.

The international community continues to regard the area as occupied.

According to Israeli data, the Golan Heights is home to around 50,000 people, roughly split between Jewish Israelis and Arab Druze, many of whom still identify as Syrians.

US embassy Tells Americans to Leave Syria

The U.S. embassy in Damascus has urged American citizens to leave Syria, saying the security situation there continues to be volatile and unpredictable with armed conflict and “terrorism throughout the country.”

The warning was issued via a statement on X.

The embassy, closed since 2012, advised those unable to depart to prepare “contingency plans for emergency situations.”

The statement said that the U.S. government cannot offer routine or emergency consular services within Syria.

Citizens needing urgent assistance to leave were directed to contact the U.S. embassy in the neighboring country they plan to enter.

While the Islamic State group was defeated in March 2019, sleeper cells have continued to stage deadly attacks in various parts of Syria.

The rebels from the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham who ousted Assad and now control much of Syria are led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a former senior al-Qaida militant.

After 13 years of civil war, al-Jolani stunningly overthrew the Assad regime just over a week ago. Having severed ties with al-Qaida several years ago, al-Jolani has promised representative government and religious tolerance in Syria.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press