Death toll in Gaza continues to skyrocket despite an agreement reached on October 10 between Hamas and Israel that went into effect October 10, 2025. Gaza health officials estimate at least 69,169 fatalities as of early November according to Al Jazeera +3actualite Arab News +3 Washington Post.
Even after the US and regional mediators agreed on a cease-fire deal, violence continues in Gaza despite US and regional mediators’ attempts. Bodies continue to be recovered and new deaths reported almost daily; as reported by Gaza Health Ministry official data 241 people in Gaza have died during its duration according to its official count of deaths since then, Spectrum Local News+1+1
Deadly aftermaths of war and devastation abound, as does rubble.
Recovery operations account for many of these deaths; bodies continue to be recovered from collapsed buildings or from those still remaining standing, according to the ministry. Between October 31 and November 7, a further 284 casualties were identified bringing the cumulative total up to 4,769. See Arab News PK for +1 in detail.
Israeli military sources tell The Washington Post that some strikes carried out by Israeli military aircraft have targeted remaining militant infrastructure even within the cease-fire framework.
Furthermore, the truce includes arrangements for body-exchanges between Israel and Hamas that exchange hostage bodies and remains. Israel has released 15 Palestinian remains for every Israeli hostage body they receive back. Since September 30, almost 300 bodies have been returned – although only 89 have been positively identified due to limited DNA matching resources. The Washington Post
Cease-Fire Under Strain Although large-scale combat operations have temporarily subsided, the cease-fire remains tenuous. Israeli forces have conducted what they describe as targeted strikes or defensive actions against Palestinian militants while settler violence in the occupied West Bank reached record levels during olive harvest season, according to The Washington Post +1
Israel reported killing militants who violated defined lines of engagement, while Gaza health records detail those killed.
Al Jazeera’s figures depict the war’s ongoing toll – far beyond its peak hostilities – through collapsed buildings, un-repaired infrastructure, missing persons and dire humanitarian conditions that continue to cost lives. A significant number of Palestinians remain missing under rubble or unaccounted-for and hinder accuracy and closure for families hoping for accuracy or closure from government authorities. Spectrum Local Newsot +1
Humanitarian crisis persists
Devastating humanitarian concerns have been compounded by the scale of devastation. With over 69,000 lives lost, thousands injured or missing and civilian infrastructure severely damaged, recovery phase efforts are already straining aid delivery, shelter provision, medical services provision, identification procedures and identification processes – warning aid agencies that without comprehensive reconstruction plans death toll may continue to climb even in absence of major combat.
Families still displaced from fighting have found no respite from the cease-fire; many remain displaced, without access to safe housing, food or water supplies; recovery of bodies is also often fraught with uncertainty; one mother told a hospital worker “I haven’t lost hope, I am still waiting for him”. Spectrum Local News What to watch
Are the body-exchange processes proceeding smoothly and building trust in truce frameworks?
How the process for recovering and identifying missing persons progresses in heavily damaged areas where extensive debris remains.
Determine whether the mechanisms of the cease-fire remain in place or whether new triggers such as hostage issues or militant actions might reignite greater conflict.
How humanitarian agencies scale services such as reconstruction, medical care and trauma support in order to prevent an increase in civilian casualties.
Conclusion
The staggering death toll of over 69,000 stands as an emphatic testament to how deadly and destructive Gaza’s conflict has been. Although a formal cease-fire is in effect, major battles continue and deaths and bodies continue to surface as families remain in turmoil; without meaningful reconstruction plans and peace agreements in place, that number may still continue to increase exponentially.