Palestinians in Gaza mark two years of conflict and loss

The anniversary of the 7 October 2023 attack, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and triggered the ongoing war, comes as indirect talks between Israel and Hamas take place in Egypt in search of a possible ceasefire.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with women and children making up about half the dead. The fighting has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s two million residents, often several times, while restrictions on aid have deepened hunger and fuelled what experts describe as a famine in Gaza City. Large parts of the territory lie in ruins, and hospitals continue to struggle with shortages of staff, medicine and equipment.

Across Gaza, survivors describe the last two years as marked by loss, hunger and instability. Many returning to their homes have found entire neighbourhoods destroyed, while health workers treat patients in overcrowded wards and journalists continue to risk their lives reporting the war.

Rights groups have accused Israel of committing atrocities, while Israel maintains that its campaign is a lawful act of self-defence aimed at dismantling Hamas, the group responsible for the 2023 attack.