Number of dead in Gaza reaches 63,000, health ministry says - as Israel declares city a combat zone

More than 63,000 Palestinians have now reportedly been killed during Israel's war in Gaza, a figure likely to rise after the IDF declared Gaza City a combat zone on Friday.

The number of people killed, reported by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, follows nearly 23 months of war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing ahead with his plan to militarily occupy the Gaza Strip, starting with Gaza City, with the goal of destroying Hamas and returning the remaining Israeli hostages.

Israel on Friday claimed the city was a Hamas stronghold and alleged that a network of tunnels remains in use despite several previous large-scale raids on the area. Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged Palestinians to flee south, calling evacuation of the city "inevitable".

But the head of the Red Cross warned it would be impossible to keep people safe during such a mass evacuation. Many people in Gaza City would not be able to follow evacuation orders because they are starving, sick or injured, Mirjana Spoljaric said.

International humanitarian law requires Israel to ensure civilians have access to shelter, safety and nutrition,when evacuation orders are issued. "These conditions cannot currently be met in Gaza.

This makes any evacuation not only unfeasible but incomprehensible under the present circumstances," Ms Spoljaric added. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it had targeted Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas's armed wing, in a strike on Gaza City, according to Israeli media.

And Mr Netanyahu later said the body of hostage Idan Shtivi was retrieved from Gaza. Read more:UN staff pressure human rights chief to call Gaza a genocideTony Blair meets with Trump to discuss future of Gaza Four people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Saturday while trying to get aid in central Gaza, according to health officials at Awda hospital, where the bodies were brought.

Their deaths join the almost 1,900 people who the UN say have been killed while seeking food since 27 May, including more than 1,000 killed in the vicinity of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites. "Most of these killings appear to have been committed by the Israeli military," a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Thameen Al-Kheetan said.

Israel has previously blamed Hamas militants for fomenting chaos and endangering civilians at aid sites. The conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which saw around 1,200 people killed and about 250 people taken hostage..