Deir Al-balah (Gaza Strip), Jul 13 (AP) The Palestinian death toll in the 21-month-long war in Gaza has surpassed 58,000, the Health Ministry in the territory said Sunday.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says that more than half of the dead are women and children.

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The rising death toll comes as Israel and Hamas are discussing terms for a US-backed ceasefire. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)