Accuracy of Gaza Casualties Challenged

The number of casualties in the Hamas-Israel War has caused anguish around the world, prompting many demands for a ceasefire. There have without doubt been many casualties among the people of the Gaza Strip, a major concern for most people.

Yet as early as November 2023, the accuracy of the casualty figures published by the Gaza Health Ministry have been questioned and, as the war has continued into March 2024, the number of people challenging the figures has increased with the publication of detailed studies revealing that they contain obvious errors.

Another factor that raises suspicions is that the man responsible for producing the figures, Dr Munir al-Borsh, Director General of the Palestinian Health Ministry, is a paid employee of Hamas, being a member of the government in the Gaza Strip. That provides an obvious motive for exaggerating and /or distorting the figures.

Thus it should be a matter of great concern that major media outlets continue to quote these Hamas-produced figures as accurate, especially when some quote them as purely civilian casualties and make no attempt to mention the number of terrorists killed. The media have grossly misrepresented Israel’s conduct in the war and fuelled the international rise in anti-Semitism.

The latest study by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy has revealed a major change in the methodology for compiling the casualty figures, and that the two methodologies have produced huge differences in the proportions of men and children killed.

Several conclusions from this study include:

1. The discrepancies between the methodologies for counting fatalities warrant much more intense scrutiny and should be paired with appropriate caveats if cited.
2. The repeated claim that 72% of the dead are women and children is very likely incorrect.