GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Gaza Health Ministry said Friday that the death toll in Gaza has risen to 63,025 in the 22-month war between Israel and Hamas.

The toll surpassed 63,000 as Palestinians faced the start of Israel’s expanded offensive in Gaza City, against a backdrop of displacement, destruction and a famine that has gripped parts of the territory.

The ministry said the bodies of 59 people killed by Israeli strikes were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours. It said five people had died from malnutrition-related causes over the past 24 hours, raising the toll to 322, including 121 children, since the war began.

The count does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.

See Full Page