"The number of victims of Israeli aggression since October 7 has risen to 26,422; 65,087 were injured," the ministry said on Telegram.
In November, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Hamas had been defeated in the northern part of the enclave and the Israeli military would now mover to the center and south of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military claims that about 9,000 Hamas fighters were eliminated in the three months since the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. Various estimates put the total number of Hamas troops between 30,000 and 40,000.
On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip while its fighters breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. As a result, over 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.