A UK-led study has raised questions over the accuracy of the death toll from the ongoing conflict in Gaza, suggesting higher numbers than previously reported. The study, conducted by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, covered the first nine months of the war, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen attacked Israel. According to the report published in The Lancet, the estimated death toll ranges between 55,298 and 78,525 people.
The United Nations considers figures from Gaza's health ministry to be reliable. However, the Israeli embassy in the UK has expressed skepticism, stating that "any information that derives from Gaza cannot be trusted" and is influenced by Hamas. The health ministry's figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims it has "eliminated over 17,000 terrorists" but has not clarified how this figure was determined.
The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's initial attack, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken back to Gaza. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military offensive targeting Gaza. The health ministry reports that 46,006 people have been killed by the Israeli campaign, most of whom are civilians. Nevertheless, the IDF maintains that it focuses on combatants and seeks to limit civilian casualties.
A recent UN report highlights that the majority of verified victims over a six-month period were women and children. Of those killed for whom data on sex and age was available, 59% were women, children, and the elderly. Gaza's health ministry continues to provide updated daily death tolls from the ongoing conflict.
The complexity of verifying facts on the ground is compounded by Israel's restriction on international journalists from media organizations, such as the BBC, gaining independent access to Gaza. This limitation poses challenges in confirming the situation directly from the conflict zone.
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