The IDF has for the first time claimed 70,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip, disputing UN estimates of civilian casualties.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has officially stated for the first time that approximately 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, the Israeli military disputed data from the UN and other international organizations on the proportion of civilian deaths, and called estimates of deaths from starvation significantly exaggerated. This was reported on January 29 by The Jerusalem Post.
According to the IDF, approximately 25,000 of the dead were Hamas militants. International humanitarian organizations, meanwhile, maintain that the majority of the conflict's victims were civilians.
The Israeli army also stated that in early 2024, approximately 13% of rockets launched by Hamas fell in Gaza itself due to technical malfunctions, which the military claimed resulted in the deaths of a significant number of Palestinians.
The IDF also reported cases in which, according to its data, Hamas executed Palestinians perceived as opposition members, as well as civilians attempting to leave the evacuation zones. The IDF continues to analyze the ratio of civilians to militants killed, as well as the number of people killed directly by Hamas. A timeframe for the release of updated data has not yet been announced.
Commenting on reports of approximately 450 deaths from starvation, the Israeli military stated that these figures were either based on unreliable information or included people with severe chronic illnesses that pre-existed the war. The IDF also asserted that some claims by humanitarian organizations regarding the deaths of children were subsequently unconfirmed.
According to the Israeli army, approximately 112,000 trucks of humanitarian aid have been delivered to the Gaza Strip during the conflict, including 1.7 million tons of food, as well as millions of tents and tarps. Sixteen field hospitals operate in the region, and hundreds of thousands of children have been vaccinated against polio.
