Unprecedented Israeli Acknowledgment of a Heavy Death Toll in Gaza

30th January 2026

2 minutes read

Unprecedented Israeli Acknowledgment of a Heavy Death Toll in Gaza

For the first time since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Israel has acknowledged a heavy human toll resulting from its military operations in the devastated enclave.

Senior Israeli military officials have, for the first time, agreed to update the number of fatalities recorded during the war that erupted following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, prior to the ceasefire agreement reached last month.

Since the ceasefire came into effect, dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip, with both sides regularly accusing each other of violating the agreement.

Israeli military officials said they estimate that “around 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, excluding those reported missing,” while stressing that efforts are ongoing to distinguish between militants and civilians.

For nearly two years of fighting, Israel had rejected the casualty figures published by Gaza’s Ministry of Health. However, according to statements released on Thursday in the name of senior military officials, the Israeli army has now unexpectedly relied on the ministry’s estimates.

In its latest update, Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced that the death toll in the enclave since October 7, 2023, has reached 71,667.

According to the data, approximately 171,000 wounded individuals have received treatment in Gaza’s hospitals.

The ministry notes in its periodic updates that these figures do not include missing persons, whom rescue teams in the enclave are still searching for.

Meanwhile, 251 people were abducted during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and 1,221 people were killed, according to a tally compiled by Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli figures.