Death toll in Gaza Strip passes 20,000: health officials

Rafah, Gaza Strip: Over 20,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, according to health officials in the Gaza Strip, which is governed by Hamas.

With more than 80% of Gaza's inhabitants already uprooted and large portions of the small coastal enclave destroyed in less than 10 weeks, the figure—which represents over 1% of the territory's prewar population—is a new reminder of the war's devastating cost.

Gaza's Health Ministry said Friday that it has documented 20,057 deaths in the fighting. It does not differentiate between combatant and civilian deaths. It has previously said that roughly two-thirds of the dead were women or minors.

With PTI inputs