More than 900 killed in Gaza this year despite ceasefire, Hamas-run health ministry says

More than 900 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza this year, despite the existence of a ceasefire, according to the latest figures released by the territory’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health. This brings the total number of fatalities in the Gaza Strip since the declaration of the ceasefire on October 10th to over 1,300, including 301 children, the ministry reports. The ceasefire was agreed upon by Hamas and Israel following the acceptance of a 20-point peace plan proposed by then-US President Donald Trump, which stipulated a suspension of "all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment."

In the period since the ceasefire, BBC Verify has meticulously analyzed dozens of videos documenting the impact of Israeli strikes. These incidents include attacks on a beachfront cafe, tents providing shelter to displaced individuals, and a reported funeral procession in the central Gaza Strip. The data indicates that recent months have been particularly deadly, with the figures showing over 100 fatalities recorded each month between April and August. While the health ministry directly attributes these deaths to Israeli military actions, it does not provide a distinction between civilians and combatants.

The United Nations considers the figures provided by the health ministry to be reliable. Independent experts have also informed BBC Verify that their own analyses are consistent with the ministry’s data. However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) contests these figures, stating to BBC Verify that there is "no basis to assume" that all listed casualties resulted from IDF activity. The IDF maintains that its operations are conducted in a "precise manner to remove threats and protect its troops and Israeli civilians, in accordance with the agreement," and that it endeavors to mitigate civilian harm "to the greatest extent possible." Earlier this year, Israeli media reported an Israeli security official acknowledging that "more than 70,000 people had been killed" in the Gaza war, with an estimated "more than 20,000 combatants" among them.

‘Ceasefire in name only’

Between the commencement of the ceasefire agreement on October 10th and the end of that month, the health ministry recorded 251 deaths. Since then, deadly Israeli attacks have persisted monthly. The highest monthly death toll this year was recorded in July, with 152 individuals killed, including 21 children, according to the official figures. The IDF states that five of its soldiers have been killed in combat since the ceasefire, and one contractor died in an "operational accident." The IDF also claims to have eliminated hundreds of military operatives since October.

The conflict monitoring group Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (Acled), which utilizes official statements, media reports, and social media to verify attacks, reports approximately 200 Israeli strikes during the ceasefire period that allegedly resulted in the deaths of Hamas operatives or other armed "militants" in targeted operations. Acled notes that these strikes have included commanders involved in planning the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which initiated the current conflict and led to the deaths of around 1,200 people, with 251 taken hostage.

Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, commented that Gaza has experienced a "ceasefire in name only" since last October. He asserted that the Israeli military has continued its near-daily air and drone strikes, and "though it claims to be targeting Hamas or imminent threats, it is Gaza’s civilians that have continued to bear the brunt." Lovatt suggested that this situation could become a "central stumbling block" in international efforts to implement the Trump ceasefire deal. The IDF, in its response to BBC Verify, stated its "continued commitment" to the ceasefire agreement, while also pointing to "continued violations and threats posed by Hamas and other terror organizations" in Gaza.

Summer of deadly incidents

BBC Verify has analyzed numerous videos depicting attacks in Gaza that have occurred since the ceasefire. One video shows emergency services attending to individuals in the aftermath of a strike at a beachfront cafe in Gaza City on August 18th, where six people were killed, according to the health ministry. The following day, nine people, including a 13-year-old, were reportedly killed in an attack on a police headquarters in the al-Tuffah neighborhood. The IDF stated that it was targeting Hamas commanders and terrorists in both incidents and that "steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians."

One of the deadliest single incidents in July occurred during an attack on a reported funeral procession in Nuseirat. Seven people were killed and 22 injured, according to Al-Awda Hospital, where the casualties were taken. Several verified images depict nine individuals lying on the street, covered in blood. Two individuals appear to be alive and are being attended to by bystanders. The IDF stated that it was targeting a "significant military operative" of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group who was involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks.

In an overnight strike on an apartment block on the western edge of Gaza City on August 1st, a pregnant woman, her husband, and their young son were killed, according to local reports. Verified footage showed the body of an unborn baby amidst the rubble. A man searching the ruins described hearing a strike overnight and seeing smoke emanating from the building. "I broke the door and went up and I found dead bodies scattered," he recounted. The IDF stated that it had targeted an acting Hamas commander.

Child deaths ‘absurd and devastating’

The UN agency Unicef has also reported that over 300 children have been killed since the ceasefire. The aid organization has been meticulously tracking all available reports of incidents affecting children in Gaza, including through UN personnel on the ground. James Elder, a global spokesperson for Unicef, described the number of child deaths as "absurd and devastating." He added that hundreds more have been injured and stated, "A ceasefire that paints such a grim picture can only be failing children."

Unicef and other humanitarian organizations operating within Gaza have also reported Israeli strikes on their personnel since the ceasefire. This includes the deaths of two water truck drivers contracted by Unicef in April, killed by Israeli fire at the Mansoura water filling point in northern Gaza. The IDF stated that its soldiers "identified suspects approaching" the Yellow Line area during the incident, who were later identified as UN contractors who had not "coordinated in advance." Unicef maintained that the drivers were carrying out routine water trucking operations with "no changes in movement or procedures." The Aid Worker Security Database, whose figures have been cited by the UN and the UK government, informed BBC Verify that it has recorded 22 aid workers killed in Gaza since October 10, 2025.

Independent research group Airwars works to identify civilian deaths from a range of open sources, including news agencies, NGOs, and social media, matching names found to those published by the health ministry. Director Emily Tripp told BBC Verify that the ministry’s data on death tolls is consistent with its own tracking and research, and that it recorded more than 60 deadly incidents in July. "This is the highest number of fatal incidents we’ve seen in a month since the ceasefire," Tripp stated. "Our own findings point to an increasing number of civilian harm incidents a month."

Professor Michael Spagat from Royal Holloway, University of London, who chairs Every Casualty Counts, a charity that studies death tolls in wars, told BBC Verify that the figures recorded by the health ministry are "testable" because the ministry publishes the names, ages, and ID numbers of the deceased. He added that since April, the monthly death toll in Gaza has been approximately double what was observed in December. "July was the worst month but even August’s lower toll is still high compared with the November to March period," he concluded.