By Marcel Wando
A recent study published in the British medical journal “The Lancet”, led by Rasha Khatib, Martin McKee and Salim Yusuf, suggests that the actual death toll in the Gaza Strip could exceed 186,000. The study, published on July 5, 2024, analyzes direct and indirect deaths since the start of the Israeli invasion in October 2023.
The authors arrived at this alarming figure using a conservative estimate that considers four indirect deaths for every direct death recorded. As of June 19, 2024, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported 37,396 deaths, a figure accepted by organizations such as the UN and WHO, despite being disputed by Israeli authorities. But the study notes that these figures are likely to be underestimates, given the large number of bodies still buried under the rubble and the difficulties in collecting data. Importantly, the study has not yet been peer-reviewed.
This type of underestimation of the death toll has precedent. During the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, a study also published in “The Lancet” revealed that 601,000 Iraqis died as a direct result of violence, while another 54,000 died from factors indirectly related to the situation in the country. These figures were 20 times higher than the official statistics released by the U.S. government and more than ten times higher than figures presented by independent research groups. In Gaza, the researchers suggest that the figure of 186,000 deaths may be a conservative estimate, indicating that the true extent of the damage will only be known years after the end of the conflict.
The study comes against a backdrop in which the Israeli government is attempting to minimize the number of casualties to support the narrative that its offensive is a war on terror. However, the data presented reinforce the thesis that we are facing yet another phase of genocide and ethnic cleansing promoted against the Palestinians by Israel. The massive destruction of infrastructure, the lack of basic resources and the ongoing blockade of food and medicine exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Fully understanding the situation in Gaza requires a deeper analysis of the strategies employed and their humanitarian implications. To explore more about how hunger and deprivation are used as weapons of genocide in Palestine, we recommend reading the article “Palestine: The Weapon of Hunger in the Genocide in Gaza”. This text details how these tactics affect the population in Gaza and reinforces the need for an urgent international working class response.
