Death Toll in Gaza Surpasses 1,000 Since Israeli Ceasefire, Health Ministry Reports
Rising Casualties and Ongoing Conflict in Gaza
Recent Strikes and Casualty Updates
CAIRO, June 18 (Reuters) - The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in Gaza has reached more than 1,000 since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last October, the enclave's health ministry said on Thursday, as at least three people were reported killed in the latest strike.
Medics said an Israeli strike hit a vehicle on the main Omar Al-Mokhtar road in Gaza City, killing three, as violence continues despite a new truce push by mediators. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident.
Including the latest incident, the number of Palestinians killed since an October 2025 truce brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump was 1,008, the health ministry said.
Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed by militants in that period.
Israeli Military Operations and Hamas Response
Israel says its strikes aimed to thwart imminent attacks by Hamas and other militants. Hamas rarely discloses information about deaths of its fighters.
Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked over how to proceed with the next stage of Trump's Gaza plan, which involves Hamas laying down its arms and Israeli withdrawals.
Diplomatic Efforts and Peace Negotiations
Nickolay Mladenov, Trump's Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, held talks this week in Cairo with the mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey after Hamas and other Palestinian factions delivered their response to the so-called road map plan he had presented, two sources close to the talks said.
On Wednesday, the sources told Reuters, Mladenov delivered Hamas and the factions a revised version of the road map, addressing some of the factions' concerns while preserving the "core red lines" of the Trump plan. The sources did not elaborate.
A Hamas official confirmed to Reuters the document was being studied.
Current Situation in Gaza
Israeli troops still control more than 60% of Gaza's territory, where they have ordered residents out and destroyed remaining buildings.
Nearly the entire population of 2 million people, most of whom have been displaced several times, now live in a tiny strip of land along the coast, mainly in makeshift tents or damaged buildings, under Hamas control.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Alex Richardson)
