Gaza war death toll surpasses 69,000 as body exchanges continue
Officials said the rise in fatalities reflects the recovery of additional bodies from the rubble since the cease-fire took effect on October 10, as well as the identification of previously unrecognized victims. The figure also includes Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes during the truce, which Israel claims targeted Hamas members.
On Saturday, Israel returned the remains of 15 Palestinians to Gaza, hospital officials said, a day after Hamas handed over the body of an Israeli hostage.
Israeli authorities identified the hostage as Lior Rudaeff, an Argentine-born Israeli citizen, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed his identity.
The exchange of remains forms a key part of the cease-fire’s initial phase, which stipulates that Hamas must return all hostage bodies as quickly as possible. Families of hostages and supporters rallied once again in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, demanding the return of all captives.
The truce aims to de-escalate Israel’s deadliest and most destructive campaign in Gaza’s history — a war that began after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.
300 Palestinian bodies returned
Under the exchange arrangement, Israel releases the remains of 15 Palestinians for each Israeli hostage returned.
According to Ahmed Dheir, director of forensic medicine at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Israel has so far returned 300 bodies, of which 89 have been identified.
“We lack sufficient resources and DNA capabilities to match all remains with their families,” Dheir said. Unidentified victims, he added, will be buried in groups.
At the hospital, grief-stricken families continue to search through body bags in hopes of finding missing loved ones.
“Close it — it’s not him,” one family murmured as they looked through decomposed remains.
“I come here every day. I haven’t lost hope,” said a mother still searching for her missing son.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the total number of Palestinians killed since the war began has reached 69,169, with 284 newly verified deaths recorded between October 31 and November 7.
Over the past three days, 10 additional bodies have been brought to Gaza hospitals — nine retrieved from the rubble and one newly killed, the ministry said. Since the start of the cease-fire, 241 Palestinians have been killed, and a large number remain missing.
The Israeli military said on Saturday that its forces killed two individuals who allegedly approached troops in northern and southern Gaza.
Settler violence escalates in the West Bank
Meanwhile, violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank reached new highs during this year’s olive harvest, according to Palestinian and international observers.
Palestinian health officials said 11 people were injured in an attack by settlers in the town of Beita, including journalists, medics, international activists, and farmers. Volunteers and activists have joined the harvest to help Palestinian farmers reach their lands safely.
The U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA) reported that October saw more settler attacks on Palestinians and their property than any other month since record-keeping began in 2006, documenting over 260 incidents.
Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli activist, told the Associated Press that masked settlers armed with clubs attacked olive pickers. “They chased people, threw rocks, and beat several of us,” Pollak said. He was later treated for a head injury.
He also witnessed settlers assaulting a journalist and her security guard. “They beat her so badly they dented her helmet,” he said.
A Reuters spokesperson confirmed that two of its journalists were attacked “by a group of men with sticks and rocks” despite identifying themselves as press. Both were injured, and Reuters called on Israeli authorities to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.
The Israeli military said it had dispersed a confrontation between settlers and Palestinians during an “uncoordinated” harvest in an area requiring prior coordination, acknowledging that several Palestinians were injured.
Rights groups say arrests and prosecutions for settler violence remain rare. A 2022 report by Haaretz, citing Israeli police data, found that charges were filed in only 3.8% of cases, with most closed without action.
Also on Saturday, paramedics reported another settler assault in the nearby village of Burin, where the Palestinian Red Crescent said five people — including four international activists and a 57-year-old man — were injured.
The Israeli army said soldiers responded to reports of rock-throwing at an Israeli vehicle and that civilians from both sides were hurt in the ensuing clashes.
