For first time, Israel accepts over 71,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza genocide

Israeli military officials have, for the first time, accepted the death toll released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, admitting that over 71,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war.

According to a report published by Israeli daily Haaretz, the Israeli army has now adopted the Gaza Health Ministry’s estimates, figures it had earlier rejected as inaccurate and misleading.

The ministry says at least 71,667 people have died in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its military offensive on the enclave.

This death toll does not include Palestinians who remain missing and are believed to be trapped under rubble from destroyed buildings, Israeli authorities said.

“The IDF has accepted the estimate of the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry that approximately 71,000 Palestinians were killed during the Israel-Gaza war,” Haaretz reported.

The report further stated that the ministry’s figures only include deaths directly caused by Israeli military attacks, and do not cover people who died due to hunger, lack of medical care, or disease during the prolonged conflict.

International organisations and independent researchers have reviewed the Gaza Health Ministry’s data and described it as broadly reliable.

Some studies, including research published in June 2025, suggest the actual number of deaths could be far higher, estimating that violent fatalities may have reached around 200,000 by early last year.

Health experts say the official figures are likely conservative, as they do not fully reflect deaths linked to starvation, illness, or the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system under the ongoing siege.