The Palestinian death figures have been contentious, with the United Nations considering the health ministry’s statistics as reliable, despite the absence of a clear distinction between combatants and non-combatants. A recent UN report indicates that most victims verified over a six-month timeframe were women and children. On the other hand, Israel disputes the credibility of Hamas's statistics, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claiming to have "eliminated over 17,000 terrorists," though the methodology behind this claim remains ambiguous. The IDF asserts that its operations target Hamas fighters while attempting to minimize civilian casualties.
Moreover, international journalists, including those from the BBC, are barred from accessing Gaza, complicating independent verification of the situation on the ground. Researchers applied a "capture-recapture" statistical method in their study, a common technique used in conflict casualties assessments, to cross-reference various death records. The overlap between different datasets implies that actual fatalities due to traumatic injuries could be much higher than the hospital records suggest.
According to the health ministry, daily updates estimate that 46,006 individuals, primarily civilians, have been killed amid the Israeli military operations. The study’s findings provide a death toll estimate ranging from 55,298 to 78,525, in stark contrast to the 37,877 reported by the health ministry. The variations in the study's estimates could depend on the accuracy of identifying "traumatic injuries," potentially skewing the outcomes. Data available on age and sex indicates that 59% of the deceased were women, children, or elderly individuals.
The conflict commenced following a Hamas attack that resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli fatalities and the kidnapping of 251 individuals who were taken into Gaza.
Moreover, international journalists, including those from the BBC, are barred from accessing Gaza, complicating independent verification of the situation on the ground. Researchers applied a "capture-recapture" statistical method in their study, a common technique used in conflict casualties assessments, to cross-reference various death records. The overlap between different datasets implies that actual fatalities due to traumatic injuries could be much higher than the hospital records suggest.
According to the health ministry, daily updates estimate that 46,006 individuals, primarily civilians, have been killed amid the Israeli military operations. The study’s findings provide a death toll estimate ranging from 55,298 to 78,525, in stark contrast to the 37,877 reported by the health ministry. The variations in the study's estimates could depend on the accuracy of identifying "traumatic injuries," potentially skewing the outcomes. Data available on age and sex indicates that 59% of the deceased were women, children, or elderly individuals.
The conflict commenced following a Hamas attack that resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli fatalities and the kidnapping of 251 individuals who were taken into Gaza.
