In a significant reversal of its longstanding position, the Israeli military has formally acknowledged the general accuracy of the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty figures from the conflict. After years of dismissing the ministry’s reports as “misleading and unreliable,” military officials now confirm that the death toll of approximately 71,000 is substantially correct, though they note this figure excludes individuals still buried beneath rubble.
The army disclosed it is currently conducting detailed analysis of the data to differentiate between civilian and military casualties. According to their assessment, the reported numbers also do not account for deaths resulting from starvation or diseases that have been exacerbated by the prolonged humanitarian crisis in the region.
Military observers note that the overwhelming majority of casualties have been civilians, attributing this to the Israeli army’s predominant use of aerial bombardments and artillery shelling from distance rather than direct battlefield engagements with Palestinian fighters.
The context of this acknowledgment comes amid a fragile ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump in October, which was intended to conclude more than two years of intense conflict that devastated nearly 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure. Since the ceasefire began, however, monitoring groups have reported over 1,300 violations by Israel, resulting in approximately 500 additional Palestinian fatalities.
The second phase of the Trump administration’s peace plan envisions the disarmament of Hamas, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces—who currently control more than half of the Gaza Strip—and the deployment of an international peacekeeping force. Hamas officials have responded that Israel must fully implement the ceasefire agreement, particularly regarding humanitarian aid access and complete military withdrawal from Gaza.