More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed due to Israeli military actions, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The figure, reported to be 40,005 as of Thursday, represents approximately 1.7% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, highlighting the severe human cost of the ongoing conflict.
The Hamas health ministry has not distinguished between civilians and fighters in its death toll, but it notes that a significant portion of the fatalities are children, women, or the elderly. In contrast, the Israeli military claims that over 15,000 “terrorists” have been killed during the conflict.
In addition to the staggering death toll, satellite imagery indicates that nearly 60% of Gaza’s buildings have been either damaged or completely destroyed since the war began. The southern city of Rafah has reportedly faced the highest levels of destruction, with a significant number of structures damaged or flattened.
Due to Israeli restrictions, international journalists are barred from entering Gaza, making independent verification of casualty figures challenging. Historically, the Gaza Ministry of Health’s data has been used by the UN and other international organisations for its reliability, although this has become increasingly difficult due to infrastructural damages and communication issues.
As the conflict continues, experts believe the actual death toll could be much higher, with an estimated 10,000 bodies still trapped under rubble from Israeli airstrikes.
The United Nations and rights groups plan to conduct thorough investigations post-conflict to determine the true number of casualties, including combatants.
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