The remains of at least 1 Israeli hostage are found in Gaza, army says
Associated PressJan 08
Study: Gaza Death Toll Significantly Underreported
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Above: Palestinians check the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in the central Gaza Strip on Jan. 8, 2025, Image copyright: Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/Contributor via Getty Images
The Facts
A study conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and published in The Lancet journal estimated that there were 64,260 "traumatic injury deaths" in Gaza between Oct. 7, 2023 and June 30, 2024, far more than what Gaza's Health Ministry has reported. The study did not include indirect deaths.
Gaza's Health Ministry said that 37,877 had been killed as of June 30, 2024. The study used data from the health ministry, an online survey, and social media obituaries to estimate there were between 55,298 and 78,525 deaths from traumatic injuries in Gaza by that time.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Israel's war against Hamas is surely just, given the atrocities the group committed during its Oct. 7 attack. However, Israel must take into account the innocent civilians in Gaza who are trapped between Israel's military machine and Hamas' terrorist fighters. Humanitarian aid entering the strip must be significantly increased, and the US will continue to push Israel in the right direction.
Pro-Israel narrative
The idea that the death toll in Gaza has been underreported is ludicrous, as studies have found that these figures have actually been inflated. Likewise, these reports never distinguish between civilians and combatants, as Hamas has taken heavy casualties over the course of the war. Israel does everything it can to minimize civilian casualties, and these "studies" are put together by anti-Israel propagandists.
Pro-Palestine narrative
The pile of evidence that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza continues to grow. Considering this study only looks at direct fatalities and excludes indirect deaths, it is also likely an undercount of the war's toll on the civilian population. With indirect deaths included in the overall figure for fatalities, the real number of deaths is likely in the hundreds of thousands. This genocide must end.
