Israel Acknowledges Over 70,000 Palestinians Died Since Start Of 2023 War

Israel has for the first time acknowledged that the data on fatalities released by the Gaza Health Ministry since the October 7, 2023 attack carried out by Hamas launched a full-blown war between the two sides. The Gaza Health Ministry's current tally stands at 71,667 deaths, including over 450 fatalities since the October 2025 ceasefire.

According to a senior Israeli military official, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) now accepts that more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed during what many human rights groups have called a "genocide".

Previously, Israel questioned the numbers. The Israeli Foreign Ministry even called the figures "misleading and unreliable."

The IDF also stated that these figures do not include people still trapped under rubble in destroyed buildings. Hamas estimates that number to be about 10,000 people, according to The Times of Israel.

The Gaza Health Ministry also claims that at least 440 Palestinians died from malnutrition and starvation during the war. However, Israeli officials denied this claim, stating that Hamas may inflate numbers or include people with pre-existing health conditions to show a higher number of deaths.

The ministry has recorded names and ID numbers for over 90 per cent of the bodies found in the war.

Israel never directly refuted the numbers given by the Hamas-run health ministry. Instead, it would give rough estimates of civilian-to-fighter ratios, claiming that fewer civilians died compared to militants. IDF said that for every militant killed, about two or three civilians also died, according to the BBC.

Since the war began, international organisations, governments, and media have been examining the Health Ministry's data on the dead and wounded.

Some research studies suggest the actual death toll in Gaza could be higher than what the Health Ministry reports. A study in June 2025 stated that by January 2025, about 75,200 Gazans had died in the war. This contradicted the Health Ministry's count of around 55,000 at that time.

The ceasefire in Gaza still hangs by a thread as US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" to rebuild the narrow strip takes shape. The membership of this peace body costs $1 billion, and Trump wields the right to veto any decision here.