Hamas-run ministry of health updates breakdown of civilian casualties but UN has not yet been able to verify data

Gaza’s Hamas-run ministry of health has revised down figures for the number of women and children confirmed killed in the conflict in the coastal strip.

The revised totals, which first appeared on the website of the UN’s office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (Ocha), were seized on as proof by pro-Israel media and commentators that the UN had quietly reassessed civilian casualty rates. However, Ocha told the Guardian that the revised figures had been produced by the Hamas ministry and had not been verified by the UN.

The Guardian also understands that the new figures provided by the ministry relate to 24,686 “fully documented cases” out of an estimated 34,622 deaths recorded by 30 April, suggesting an ongoing verification process.

According to those criteria, 7,797 children – rather than 14,500 – are listed as confirmed killed, while confirmed fatalities among women account for 4,959 deaths, rather than 9,500, as previously recorded. As such, the new confirmed total of women and children killed stands at 12,756.

  • gregorum@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    5 months ago

    for full clarification:

    The United Nations on Monday clarified that the overall number of fatalities in Gaza tallied by the Ministry of Health in Gaza remains unchanged, at more than 35,000, since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas on October 7.

    The clarification comes after the UN humanitarian agency OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) published a report on May 8 with revised data regarding the number of Palestinian casualties in the war. The UN agency in its report reduced the number of women and children believed to have been killed in the war by nearly half.

    The number was reduced because the UN says it is now relying on the number of deceased women and children whose names and other identifying details have been fully documented, rather than the total number of women and children killed. The ministry says bodies that arrive at hospitals get counted in the overall death count.

    UN says total number of deaths in Gaza remains unchanged after controversy over revised data