The Hamas-controlled health authorities in the Gaza Strip have announced that over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations. The figure stands at 50,021, representing approximately 2.1% of the region's pre-war population of 2.3 million, which is equivalent to 1 in every 46 people having died. This staggering loss of life underscores the immense human cost of the ongoing conflict.
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03-25, 2025The health authorities also stated that 113,274 people have been injured during the same period. The Gaza Ministry of Health (MoH) data has been widely used throughout the war and considered reliable by the United Nations (UN) and international agencies. However, Israel has consistently disputed the data released by the Gaza authorities, questioning its accuracy and impartiality.
International journalists, including those from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), have been barred by Israel from independently entering Gaza, making it impossible to verify data from either side. The death toll published by the Gaza Ministry of Health does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, complicating efforts to understand the full impact of the conflict on non-combatants.
The United Nations Human Rights Office stated in November that its analysis showed nearly 70% of verified victims over the past six months were women and children. A study published in January by the medical journal The Lancet suggested that the death toll may actually be much higher than the official figures reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health, potentially reaching as high as 41%. Such discrepancies highlight the challenges in accurately assessing the true scale of casualties in conflict zones.
The war was triggered by an attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and the abduction of 251 people as hostages. Israel responded to the October 7 attack with a large-scale military offensive, causing massive damage to homes and infrastructure in addition to the casualties. The Gaza Ministry of Health also reported on Sunday that at least 39 people had died in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 673 since Israel resumed military operations in the area on Tuesday.
