CAIRO, July 29. /TASS/. Around 60,700 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip have become orphans due to hostilities and Israeli strikes since October 2023, the enclave’s Health Ministry reported on its Telegram channel.

According to the ministry, about 52,000 minors have lost their fathers, almost 6,000 children - their mothers, and at least 2,700 minors have suffered the loss of both parents.

The Health Ministry reported that the death toll from the escalation in Gaza has reached 73,335 people, with over 174,000 Palestinians sustaining injuries.

Tensions intensified in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing residents of border settlements and taking hostages. In response, Israel initiated a military operation in the Palestinian enclave to dismantle Hamas' military and political structures and free all hostages. On October 9, 2025, Israel and Hamas - with mediation from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and Turkey - agreed to implement the first phase of a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. The Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on October 10. Under the deal, Israeli forces withdrew to the so-called yellow line but retained control over more than 50% of the Strip’s territory.