High numbers of deaths in Gaza cause controversy
There are conflicting opinions regarding Gaza’s high death toll, with some claiming that nearly half of the casualties are Hamas members or their family. The Gaza authorities reported over 42,000 deaths in response to Hamas terrorists’ attacks on Israel. Some speculate that the actual death toll could be much higher, exceeding 186,000 due to missing individuals presumed buried in the rubble.
The controversy surrounding these figures was brought to light when the United Nations revised its civilian casualty numbers, downgrading them after using initially higher figures provided by Hamas-controlled agencies.
Statistics professor Abraham Wyner identified anomalies in the daily casualty reports released by the Gaza Health Ministry during the conflict, suggesting that the numbers may have been manipulated. He pointed out suspicious patterns in casualty figures, which cast doubt on their authenticity.
Israel Defense Forces indicated that a significant portion of the casualties were Hamas fighters, highlighting the difficulty in accurately assessing civilian casualties in the conflict.
Ultimately, the complexity of the conflict and the fog of war make it challenging to ascertain the exact number of casualties and the proportion of combatants among them.
