Gaza Health Ministry Responds to Death Toll Controversies Amid Ongoing Conflict

The ministry claims that its data is derived from a verification process, addressing concerns over discrepancies in casualty figures amid the conflict. As the war continues, the challenges of accurately recording fatalities are heightened due to ongoing violence and chaotic conditions.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry has announced that the death toll in the region has surpassed 51,200 Palestinians since the onset of the Gaza war, with a significant number being children. At al-Shifa Hospital, Alam Hirzallah mourns the loss of his family members, which includes his wife and children. They were killed during an Israeli shelling of their home in eastern Gaza City. The process of obtaining a death certificate for his loved ones has become complicated due to the current state of conflict and control over burial sites.

Israeli authorities have repeatedly questioned the accuracy of the reported fatalities, suspecting that the figures serve as a form of propaganda by Hamas. They assert that the ministry's lists do not discriminate between civilian casualties and members of armed groups, leading to accusations of inflated figures, particularly for women and children. Recently, media investigations have surfaced, noting inconsistencies in the reported figures, including the removal of approximately 3,000 names from earlier lists of casualties.

Zaher al-Wahidi, a representative from the Gaza health ministry, refuted claims of misinformation, stating that the ministry aimed to produce accurate and credible data. The statistics were initially compiled by counting bodies arriving at hospitals, forming a centralized database. However, due to the chaotic nature of the conflict, this method has faced challenges. The introduction of online forms for families to report deceased or missing individuals has led to recent updates in the data, including the removal of names pending a verification process.

In the verification efforts, some individuals were mistakenly reported dead, often due to lacking sufficient identification details during the chaotic registration process. Additionally, there are many unidentified bodies still under rubble from airstrikes that have yet to be accounted for. As hostilities resumed in March 2024, the numbers of fatalities continued to rise.

Israel periodically estimates the death toll of Palestinian combatants, while it refrains from providing figures on civilian casualties. The ongoing conflict, exacerbated by limited independent verification due to restrictions on international media in Gaza, leaves all sides reliant on local sources for information about deaths and attacks. With no resolution to the conflict in sight, the humanitarian impact continues to grow amid the violence.