The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has now reached 40,334, said the Gaza-based health authorities in a statement released on Saturday.
The number of injured has risen to 93,356 since the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October 2023, according to the health authorities.
The health authorities also reported a devastating toll from the past 24 hours, with 69 lives lost and 212 people injured due to ongoing Israeli military operations.
On Saturday, Palestinian security sources reported that the Israeli army has withdrawn from northern Khan Younis in southern Gaza but continues combat in other parts of the enclave.
Four civilians were killed, and many others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house southeast of Khan Yunis, according to reports.
On the same day, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged residents in some parts of central Gaza to evacuate immediately. "For your safety, evacuate these areas immediately and move to humanitarian zones," he said.
The ongoing conflict is forcing many Palestinians to flee. According to a Saturday report on the official website of WAFA, the Palestinian news agency, around 100,000 Palestinians have been displaced from eastern Deir al-Balah over the past two days due to ongoing and intense Israeli airstrikes on the city and its surroundings, and a total of 20 shelter centers have become inoperative due to heavy bombardment and evacuation orders issued by the Israeli side.
The report also indicated that UN data shows nine out of 10 people in Gaza have experienced displacement due to Israeli attacks, and most residents are forced to relocate at least once a month.
The so-called Gaza's "humanitarian zone" has shrunk to just 11 percent of the Strip. The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) issued a statement on Saturday declaring that Israel's claim of a safe zone in the Gaza Strip is a lie and deception.
Hamas also announced on Saturday that a delegation from the group will arrive in Egypt in the evening to "listen to" the results of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations in Cairo.
Ezzat al-Rishq, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, said in a statement that the delegation, led by senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, is visiting Cairo based on an invitation from Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
Al-Rishq confirmed Hamas's commitment to the July 2 agreement, which was based on an announcement by U.S. President Joe Biden and UN Security Council Resolution No. 2735.
On August 16, the United States, Egypt and Qatar, mediators of the Gaza ceasefire talks, announced the conclusion of two days of discussions in Doha, where a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza was presented.
The mediators called the discussions constructive and conducted in a positive environment. However, Hamas, which did not participate directly in the Doha negotiations, accused Israel of adding new conditions to a previously supported proposal and expressed skepticism about the negotiations' outcome.
The ceasefire talks reportedly resumed in Cairo earlier this week and are set to continue over the weekend.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 40,334 amid ceasefire talks resumption
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 40,334 amid ceasefire talks resumption
