• Palestinian death toll surpasses 55,000 according to Gaza Health Ministry.
• Women and children constitute more than half of the reported casualties.
• The conflict, ignited on October 7, 2023, shows no signs of resolution.
• Israel's military actions have led to widespread destruction and displacement.

The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has reached beyond 55,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. This figure, reported as 55,104, includes many women and children, although the ministry does not separate civilian from combatant deaths. This tragic milestone reflects the severe humanitarian crisis arising from the conflict, which commenced following Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and shows no indications of ending soon, according to HuffPost, South China Morning Post, and Los Angeles Times.

The Israeli military asserts that its operations aim to target militants and attributes the high civilian casualty rate to Hamas's tactics of utilizing populated areas for its operations. The ongoing conflict has resulted in approximately 127,394 injuries, with many victims either fatalities or wounded under rubble that rescuers cannot access due to the intensive military actions throughout Gaza, highlighted by reports from HuffPost, South China Morning Post, and Los Angeles Times.

Israeli operations have decimated entire neighborhoods, displacing about 90% of Gaza's population. Additionally, recent military strategies have altered over half of Gaza into a military buffer zone, particularly impacting areas around the city of Rafah. The humanitarian situation has been exacerbated by a blockade imposed by Israel that has raised fears of famine and disrupted aid deliveries, exacerbated by chaos and violence obstructing humanitarian assistance delivery, as mentioned by HuffPost, South China Morning Post, and Los Angeles Times.

The international response continues to be shaped by disputes over humanitarian access and aid management. Israel claims that Hamas diverts aid supplies for military purposes, a claim that the United Nations and various aid organizations have denied. The long-term effects of sustained military operations, as well as their impact on civilian life and health infrastructure in Gaza, are profound and ongoing, as indicated by HuffPost, South China Morning Post, and Los Angeles Times.