The Palestinian death toll resulting from the nearly three-year Israel-Hamas conflict has exceeded 74,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
In a separate development, Iran’s foreign minister has stated that Tehran has not received formal notification of U.S. President Donald Trump’s rejection of its proposed agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, the World Health Organization has reported that nearly 700 people in Yemen have lost their lives since fighting escalated last month.
The following outlines the most recent developments across the Middle East as of Sunday.
In Gaza, over 1,100 have been killed since ceasefire
Gaza’s Health Ministry announced on Saturday that the Palestinian death toll has reached 74,016, with an additional 175,068 wounded. The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and the abduction of 251 hostages.
Although a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10 of last year has suspended the most intense combat, Israeli airstrikes have persisted, which the military describes as responses to threats or attacks.
Since the ceasefire took hold, 1,145 Palestinians have been killed, according to the ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led government. The ministry maintains comprehensive records that U.N. agencies and international organizations generally consider reliable. These records do not differentiate between civilians and militants.
During the same period, seven Israeli soldiers have been killed.
The most recent Israeli strike in Gaza, carried out in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis, resulted in one fatality and three injuries, according to Palestinian health officials.
Progress on the next stages of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire remains largely stalled. Israeli forces currently occupy more than half of the Palestinian territory, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that troops will not withdraw until Hamas disarms.
Iran’s top diplomat says they await word from mediators
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran was awaiting a U.S. response through mediators following Trump’s rejection of Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume diplomatic talks.
Araghchi delivered these remarks to Iranian state media while attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Araghchi indicated that Iran would evaluate the U.S. position once intermediaries communicated it. He affirmed that Tehran’s conditions for reopening the strait remain unchanged and that there would be “no backing down from them.”
Houthi rebels accuse Yemeni forces of a deadly strike
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have accused Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces of conducting a strike on a market in Yemen’s Taiz province, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people.
Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry, reported that the strike struck shops in a market located in the district of Taiziyah. He confirmed that at least 40 additional people, including five children, sustained injuries.
The military of Yemen’s internationally recognized government dismissed the Houthi allegations, stating that it had targeted Houthi “warehouses and positions” in northern, southern, and western Taiz, resulting in “dozens of dead and wounded” among the rebels.
Fierce combat has erupted along Yemen’s Red Sea coast as government forces seek to reverse recent Houthi territorial gains. The WHO has reported that nearly 700 people have been killed since the escalation began last month.
Israel’s Jewish opposition vows cooperation to beat Netanyahu
Israel’s leading Jewish opposition parties announced on Saturday evening their commitment to collaborate in order to defeat Netanyahu’s coalition in next month’s pivotal elections. The parties have faced criticism for internal disputes.
This vote, the first since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, is widely regarded as a referendum on the security failures that precipitated the assault.
The meeting included Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief considered Netanyahu’s primary challenger; Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, two former prime ministers campaigning together; Yair Golan, leader of the center-left party; and Avigdor Lieberman, who heads a hawkish opposition party.
“We recognize that these elections are critical to the future of the state,” the joint statement declared.
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
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