In a first, Israel accepts death toll of 71,000+ Palestinians in Gaza genocide

Israeli occupation forces have accepted the estimate from the Health Ministry in Palestine’s Gaza that approximately 71,000 Palestinians have been killed during the two-year genocide.

According to reports from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Thursday, this marks the first time the military has adopted the ministry’s figures, which it had previously dismissed as “unreliable” and “misleading”.

The health ministry in Gaza has recorded 71,667 deaths since the start of Israel’s genocide in the Palestinian enclave on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli occupation forces have noted that these figures do not include residents who are missing and potentially buried under the rubble.

“The IDF (Israel’s military) has accepted the estimate of the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry that approximately 71,000 Palestinians were killed during the Israel-Gaza war, noting that the number does not include missing residents who are potentially buried under rubble,” Haaretz said.

“The Ministry’s tally includes only those killed directly by Israeli military fire in its tracking, not people who died of starvation or from diseases.”

The data, which international organisations and researchers have examined, is widely considered reliable.

Some studies, including one released in June 2025, have suggested the true death toll may be even higher, estimating around 200,000 violent deaths by early last year.

Experts have concluded that the health ministry’s data is conservative and may not account for those who died of starvation or diseases exacerbated by the harsh siege.