More than 5,000 have died in Gaza: Health ministry

The death toll in Gaza has climbed to at least 5,087 Palestinians since the war between Israel and Palestinian militant groups broke out on October 7, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Monday.

Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesperson for the ministry in Gaza, said the fatalities included 2,055 children and 1,119 women.

More than 15,270 others were wounded, he said.

The tally includes the disputed toll from a hospital explosion last week, which the two sides have traded blame for.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed — mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack. At least 222 people were captured and dragged back to Gaza, including foreigners.