The figure, which does not include missing persons, aligns with the toll reported by Gaza’s health ministry, which says over 71,000 people have died, many of them women and children. The ministry also claims thousands remain buried under rubble across the enclave.
“In our estimation, around 70,000 Gazans were killed during the war,” Ynet news quoted a senior Israeli military official as saying. “We are currently doing the work of distinguishing between terrorists and those who were not involved.”
The military had previously cast doubt on casualty reports from Gaza, arguing that the Hamas-run health ministry could not be trusted. However, the United Nations has consistently accepted the ministry’s tolls as credible, partly because they publish names and ages of the dead.
Since the start of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in October, Gaza authorities say more than 480 additional people have been killed in Israeli strikes.
Asked for comment, the Israel Defense Forces said, “The details published do not reflect official IDF data,” and added that any official figures would be released “through official and orderly channels.”
The war began after the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and triggered a wide-scale Israeli military response. More than 470 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the fighting.
(jh)
Source: Reuters