Palestinian death toll in Gaza tops 68,000, as Israel identifies the remains of one more hostage

TEL AVIV: More than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said the number of dead has climbed since the ceasefire went into effect more than a week ago. The majority of the newly counted dead bodies have been found during recovery efforts under the rubble. The figures of the Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in the territory, are seen as a reliable estimate of wartime deaths by UN agencies and many independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.