Death Toll Reaches 70,942 as Israeli Attacks and Humanitarian Restrictions Persist: Israeli occupation forces carried out new attacks across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, striking residential areas, displacement camps, and already‑devastated infrastructure amid a deepening humanitarian collapse.
Local media and humanitarian agencies reported additional deaths and injuries in Gaza City, the central Strip, and the south, as rescue teams continued to face severe obstacles in reaching affected areas.
Casualties in the Past 24 Hours:
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, five deaths and three injured in the past 24 hours.
The fatalities include:
- 1 newly killed individual
- 4 bodies recovered from beneath the rubble
Ambulance and civil defense crews reported that a number of victims remain trapped under collapsed buildings and in streets that remain inaccessible due to ongoing danger and destroyed roads.
Mahmoud Ismail Shabat, 34, from northern Gaza, was found bound, shot, and bearing marks of hanging after being held for two years in Israeli custody. pic.twitter.com/yRaQYfOWOk
— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) December 23, 2025
Since the “Ceasefire” of 11 October, the Ministry of Health reports:
- 406 deaths
- 1,118 injuries
- 653 bodies recovered
Despite the “ceasefire,” Israeli military actions continue to cause casualties, damage civilian infrastructure, and obstruct humanitarian access.
Cumulative Toll Since 7 October 2023:
- 70,942 Palestinians killed
- 171,195 injured
Officials warn that the real toll is likely higher, as many victims remain unrecovered and rescue teams continue to operate under extreme constraints.
Weather‑Related Deaths:
The ministry confirmed one additional death caused by the collapse of a building during the current winter storm system, raising the number of weather‑related building‑collapse deaths to 16.
🚨Winter in Gaza: Israel is deliberately using the cold as a weapon, destroying homes and forcing families to survive for more than two years in torn tents, left to face freezing temperatures, flooding rains, and brutal storms with no shelter or protection. pic.twitter.com/vqDEBKxZFp
— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) December 23, 2025
Humanitarian Situation: Aid System Near Collapse:
Humanitarian agencies and UN officials warn that Gaza’s humanitarian response is at a breaking point due to Israeli restrictions blocking aid access and forcing international NGOs to halt operations.
The Humanitarian Country Team—comprising UN officials and more than 200 local and international aid groups—has called on the international community to pressure Israeli authorities to reverse these measures.
People in Gaza need more services not less.
We have not received any updates about our Israeli registration process for 2026. If we lose access, people in Gaza would lose access to lifesaving support.
We continue to engage with Israeli authorities to continue our activities. pic.twitter.com/8jJYRVP5En
— MSF International (@MSF) December 23, 2025
Aid organizations deliver around one billion dollars annually across Gaza, supporting hospitals, clinics, clean water systems, sanitation, emergency shelter, and malnutrition treatment.
The forced closure of NGOs would immediately shut down one in three health facilities, cut off care for tens of thousands of patients, and severely disrupt food, water, and shelter programs.
Food Insecurity and Displacement:
UNRWA reports that 1.6 million people in Gaza face acute food insecurity, describing the situation as a man‑made hunger crisis.
Israeli bulldozers continue to destroy the remaining buildings in the areas they control in the northern Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/owkycDWUs7
— dr. mohammed hamad – Gaza (@Medo198518) December 23, 2025
Despite the “ceasefire,” shortages of food, fuel, clean water, medical supplies, and shelter remain severe.
Winter storms and heavy rains have further worsened conditions, damaging or destroying shelters and causing flooding in displacement sites. Thousands of families have been affected, with many forced to relocate again in search of safer ground.
Health Sector on the Brink
Gaza’s health system remains overwhelmed. Hospitals and field clinics are operating with severe shortages of fuel, medicine, and equipment, limited specialized staff and overcrowded emergency rooms and ICUs.
❗️A dental clinic operating among the rubble of Gaza has become a rare place of relief for residents, after Dr. Abdel Salam Kuheil reopened his practice inside a damaged building despite the surrounding destruction. Patients across the Strip seek treatment there, trusting the… pic.twitter.com/Wu5ubdsJ0c
— Translating Falasteen (Palestine) (@translatingpal) December 22, 2025
Doctors report treating patients on floors and in corridors, while many wounded cannot receive timely surgery due to damaged or inaccessible facilities.
Ceasefire Violations and Ongoing Military Activity:
Despite the “ceasefire” declared on 10 October, Israeli military actions continue across the Strip. Recent attacks have caused new casualties and further destruction of civilian infrastructure. Humanitarian convoys continue to face logistical and security obstacles, delaying or preventing the delivery of life‑saving aid.
International Calls for Action:
Humanitarian agencies and UN officials are urging the international community to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access, support the renewal of NGO registrations, pressure Israeli authorities to comply with international humanitarian law and to sustain funding for emergency operations across Gaza.
