Number of People Killed in Gaza by Israeli Military Far Higher Than Previously Reported: Study

(AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

A new study found that Israel’s military forces have killed far more people than initially reported in the Gaza war with the death toll climbing to more than 64,000 people.

According to researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the widely reported death toll by Israel forces was underestimated by 41%. The study measured the deaths between October 2023 until the end of June 2024.

Researchers also found that the majority of the deaths at 59% included women, children, and elderly people. However, the study notes that the official death toll could be even higher than the estimated 64,260 because it does not include deaths resulting from lack of health care, water, and sanitation.

Moreover, the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s estimated deaths are an accurate minimum according to the study’s researchers but do not represent the total death toll. Gaza health officials have claimed that 37,877 people died as of June 2023. The estimates from the study were gained based on an analysis of morgue records as well as social media obituaries.

Over the last few months a growing number of human rights advocates and NGOs have accused Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing genocide. The Israeli leader has responded by calling these claims “false and outrageous,” according to Politico.

Back in November, the International Criminal Court released an arrested warrant for Netanyahu, along with his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, regarding crimes against humanity.