More Than 13,000 People Have Died in Gaza, Officials Say

A Palestinian youth walks inside a shrapnel-riddled building damaged in an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis on the southern Gaza Strip on November 23, 2023. (Photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
A Palestinian youth walks inside a shrapnel-riddled building damaged in an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis on the southern Gaza Strip on November 23, 2023. (Photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
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More Than 13,000 People Have Died in Gaza, Officials Say

A Palestinian youth walks inside a shrapnel-riddled building damaged in an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis on the southern Gaza Strip on November 23, 2023. (Photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
A Palestinian youth walks inside a shrapnel-riddled building damaged in an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis on the southern Gaza Strip on November 23, 2023. (Photo by Mahmud HAMS / AFP)

The director of the Health Ministry in Gaza said it has resumed its detailed count of casualties from the Israel-Hamas war, and has documented more than 13,000 deaths.
Medhat Abbas confirmed the resumption to The Associated Press on Thursday.
The Health Ministry had stopped updating its figures on Nov. 11 after the breakdown of access and communication in northern Gaza, where Israeli ground troops are battling Hamas fighters.
The latest count is based on updated figures from hospitals in the south and Nov. 11 figures from the northern hospitals. The real toll is likely higher.
The Health Ministry said another 6,000 people have been reported missing, and are feared buried under the rubble.



Türkiye Says Hamas Would be More Open to Deal Seeking Lasting Peace with Israel

Palestinians inspect the damage caused by an Israeli strike in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday. (AP)
Palestinians inspect the damage caused by an Israeli strike in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday. (AP)
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Türkiye Says Hamas Would be More Open to Deal Seeking Lasting Peace with Israel

Palestinians inspect the damage caused by an Israeli strike in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday. (AP)
Palestinians inspect the damage caused by an Israeli strike in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday. (AP)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday that talks with Palestinian militant group Hamas in recent days had shown the group would be more open to an agreement that goes beyond a ceasefire in Gaza and aims for a lasting solution to the crisis with Israel.

On April 19, Fidan and Türkiye's intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, held talks with Hamas officials in Ankara to discuss the latest efforts for a ceasefire and the situation in Gaza, Reuters reported.

Speaking in Doha, Fidan said those talks showed Hamas would be more willing to sign a deal that also addresses the issue of occupied Palestinian territories and other issues.

He also noted that the crisis could be turned into an opportunity to implement the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.