Gaza war death toll likely underestimated, study finds Magic Post

A study published in the medical journal The Lancet found that the number of deaths in Gaza due to Israeli air and ground campaigns is likely underestimated by 41 percent.

According to the analysis by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Yale University and other institutions, the actual number of deaths in the first nine months of the conflict is significantly higher than official figures.

As of June 30, 2024, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, run by Hamas, reported a death toll of 37,877.

However, the new study used various data sources, including an online survey and social media obituaries, to estimate that the number of deaths from traumatic injuries ranged between 55,298 and 78,525.

The study’s best estimate puts the death toll at 64,260, suggesting that the Palestinian Health Ministry underestimated these figures by 41 percent.

The study also highlighted that 59.1 percent of those killed were women, children and people aged over 65. It does not provide an estimate of the number of Palestinian fighters among the victims.

However, deaths from traumatic injuries do not include deaths due to lack of health care or food, nor the thousands of people still missing and believed to be buried under rubble.

The study’s estimate means that about 2.9 percent of Gaza’s pre-war population, or about one in 35 residents, died as a result of the conflict.

The Palestinian Health Ministry’s ability to maintain accurate electronic records of deaths has deteriorated significantly due to the Israeli military campaign, which has included raids on hospitals and attacks on health infrastructure.

On Thursday, health officials in Gaza reported that several hospitals, including Al-Aqsa, Nasser and European hospitals, were at risk of closure due to Israeli attacks and blockades, while other facilities, such as Kamal Adwan, Indonesian et al. Hospitals in Awda have already been forced to close their doors.

Hani Mahmoud, from Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, noted that many deaths in northern Gaza go unreported because bodies are buried in homes or on the streets due to the difficulty of reach overwhelmed hospitals.

“The entire health system in the northern part of the Gaza Strip is out of order, without any proper mechanism to record the number of casualties in the area,” he said. Mahmoud also reported a serious shortage of medical supplies, including surgical tools, antibiotics and painkillers, at Al-Aqsa Hospital, which is currently facing an influx of injured civilians, many of them women and men. ‘children.

Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir-el Balah, said Israeli military operations are intensifying, with the continued bulldozing of residential houses around Al-Awda Hospital.

He said: “Medical teams at al-Awda Hospital continue to report that the Israeli army continues to bulldoze all residential houses near the hospital while the medical cases remaining there are increasing. deteriorate further. »

While Israel says it takes significant precautions to avoid civilian casualties and accuses Hamas of using hospitals as a cover for its military operations, Hamas has denied these claims.