At least 61,709 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip since Oct 7, 2023, local authorities have said after reclassifying thousands of people who had been missing in the rubble, Anadolu Agency reports.

“Only 47,487 bodies were transferred to hospitals, while 14,222 remained missing under the rubble,” Salama Marouf, who heads Gaza’s government media office, told a news conference in Gaza City.

He said the victims included 17,881 children, including 214 newborn babies.

“More than 38,000 Palestinian children were orphaned by the Israeli war,” Marouf said.

According to the local official, at least 1,155 medical personnel, 205 journalists, and 194 civil defense workers were also killed during the Israeli onslaught, which also damaged more than 450,000 housing units.

Read more here.