Middle East Israeli Data: 83% Civilian Death Rate in Gaza Conflict Revealed

[CharlieH]

 

 

Figures from classified IDF database listed 8,900 named fighters as dead or probably dead in May, as overall death toll reached 53,000

 

 

Investigation exposes high civilian casualty rates as the conflict continues.

Figures from a classified Israeli military intelligence database indicate that five out of six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza are civilians, representing an 83% civilian death rate. This extreme rate of civilian casualties is rarely seen in modern warfare.

By May 2025, 19 months into the war, Israeli intelligence listed 8,900 deaths among named fighters from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). However, according to Gaza health authorities, the total death toll stands at 53,000, including both combatants and civilians.

 

The high civilian casualty rate in Gaza is notable, even when compared to conflicts infamous for indiscriminate killing, such as the Syrian and Sudanese wars. Therése Pettersson from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program highlighted the unusually high proportion of civilian deaths over a prolonged period.

 

Historically, only the atrocities at Srebrenica, the Rwandan genocide, and the Russian siege of Mariupol have reported comparable ratios of civilian to combatant deaths. Many genocide scholars and human rights activists, including Israeli campaign groups, argue that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing mass civilian killings and imposed starvation.

 

The Israeli military acknowledges the database but disputes the exact figures reported. They claim that the numbers in the IDF systems do not corroborate external reports. Officials have provided varying responses, sometimes inflating militant death tolls.

 

The database, naming 47,653 individuals as active in the military wings of Hamas and PIJ, highlights the complexities in casualty reporting. Intelligence sources admit that both Israeli and Gaza health ministry figures may underestimate real numbers, excluding those buried under rubble.

 

Critics like retired general Itzhak Brik contend that official numbers are misleading, with many Palestinians labeled as militants posthumously. Israeli soldiers' testimonies support these claims, detailing indiscriminate targeting and inflated militant counts.

 

Mary Kaldor, a professor at the LSE, suggests that Israel's engagement in densely populated areas like Gaza leads to high civilian casualties. This strategy resembles conflicts where armed groups avoid direct battles, focusing on territorial and population control.

 

Ongoing rhetoric from Israeli officials often reflects extreme positions, describing civilian casualties as 'necessary' for deterrence. Such approaches have drawn significant humanitarian concerns from international observers.

 

As the conflict persists, the impact on civilians remains a critical issue, raising broader questions about human rights and future conflict engagements. The unprecedented civilian toll calls for urgent international attention to address and mitigate further humanitarian crises.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Guardian 2025-08-22

 

 

 

 

[ThreeCardMonte]

Hamas continues to use civilian shields.

[Bkk Brian]

Response from IDF,

 

“The figures presented in the article are incorrect and do not reflect the data available in the IDF’s systems. Throughout the war, continuous intelligence assessments are conducted regarding the number of terrorists eliminated in the Gaza Strip, based on BDA [bomb damage assessment] methodologies and cross-checking efforts from various sources … [including] documents originating from terrorist organizations in the Strip.”