Death toll in Gaza passes 25,000 as tensions in Middle East threaten wider war
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In recent weeks relations between Israel and Iran have worsened further with senior Iranian and allied figures supposedly targeted by Israeli airstrikes in Syria and Lebanon – including on Saturday, when the intelligence deputy of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force was killed in Damascus. “That starts with an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to relieve the suffering in Gaza.” The war began with Hamas’s surprise attack into Israel on 7 October, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostages. Fighting continued between Hamas militants and the Israeli Defense Forces in northern Gaza on Sunday Gaza’s Health Ministry on Sunday said 25,105 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since 7 October, and another 62,681 have been injured. Israeli ground operations are now focused on the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza dating back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.