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Lancet Study Estimates 64,260 Deaths in Gaza, 41% Higher Than Recorded During Israel-Hamas War

Jan 10, 2025, 03:40 PM

A study published in The Lancet medical journal estimates that the death toll in Gaza during the first nine months of the Israel-Hamas war was around 41 percent higher than recorded by the Palestinian territory's health ministry. The peer-reviewed research, conducted by academics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Yale University, and other institutions, used a statistical method known as capture-recapture analysis to estimate that there were 64,260 deaths due to traumatic injuries between October 7, 2023, and June 30, 2024. This figure is significantly higher than the 37,877 deaths reported by the health ministry during the same period. The study indicates that 59% of the deaths were women, children, and people over the age of 65. The researchers noted that the health ministry's capacity to maintain accurate electronic death records deteriorated due to Israel's military campaign, which included attacks on healthcare facilities and disruptions to digital communications.