Published: June 28, 2025, 07:09 PM
Nearly 100,000 Palestinians have been killed-either directly or indirectly-since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, according to a report published by Israeli daily Haaretz, as cited by Anadolu Agency. The figure represents approximately 4% of Gaza’s total population, marking it as one of the deadliest conflicts of the 21st century.
This estimated death toll far exceeds the official figures released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, which reports over 56,300 fatalities. Experts cited in the report attribute the discrepancy to undercounted indirect deaths resulting from hunger, cold, and disease due to the near-total collapse of Gaza’s health system.
Haaretz reports that while Israeli officials often downplay or discredit Gaza’s casualty figures, international researchers believe they are not only credible but may even underestimate the true scale of loss.
One such expert is Professor Michael Spagat of Royal Holloway, University of London-an authority on conflict-related mortality. His team surveyed 2,000 households in Gaza, covering around 10,000 individuals, and concluded that by January 2025, approximately 75,200 people had died due to violence-most of them in Israeli attacks.
According to their findings, 56% of the victims were women or children under 18-a rate significantly higher than other major conflicts post-WWII. In comparison, women and children accounted for 20% of war-related deaths in Kosovo and Syria, 23% in Sudan, and just 9% in northern Ethiopia.
“This is one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 21st century when measured by civilian casualties and deaths as a share of population,” said Spagat. “I don`t know of any other conflict this century with such a high proportion of a population killed-likely around 4%.”
Despite growing international pressure and calls for a ceasefire, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has continued relentlessly since its onset.
In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its actions in the war.
