Israel Acknowledges Gaza Death Toll After Prolonged Denialism, Shifting Narrative

Israel had repeatedly denied the death toll figures during the more than two-year-long genocidal war in Gaza.

Following prolonged bombardment, the Israeli military now appears to have accepted the casualty statistics painstakingly collected by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, despite extremely difficult circumstances. Since the war began in Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israel had consistently dismissed, denied, or downplayed the details of damage and deaths reported by journalists, Palestinians, and Gazan officials.

At times, it would release its own figures and later change them, while accusing Palestinian officials of exaggerating the number of fatalities (especially civilians). However, according to an Israeli military official who spoke to journalists last Thursday, the army has now accepted the fact that approximately 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza during the war.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry's estimates, at least 71,662 people had died as of January 27 of this year. Of those, 488 deaths occurred after the ceasefire was declared in the Gaza Strip on October 10, 2025.

Thousands of people remain missing and are believed to be buried under rubble. According to the National Committee for Missing Persons, this number could exceed 10,000. Meanwhile, the ministry stated that at least 440 people died due to starvation during the war.

A senior Israeli military official did not concede that most of the dead were civilians (especially children and women) or that hundreds died of starvation and thousands were buried under rubble. Nevertheless, accepting the death toll figures from the Gaza Health Ministry is a step completely different from Israel's previous claims.

This is part of a pattern: Israel has a history of denying the killings committed by its forces, even when evidence exists, and only reluctantly accepting the facts later when they can no longer be concealed.

What is the reason behind Israel's sudden acceptance of the Gaza death toll and its history of denial?

• The Actual Number of Dead and Injured in Gaza

Since the war began in October 2023, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has been keeping records of the dead, including names and identification numbers. The ministry also tracks the number of injured and those who died of starvation due to Israel blocking essential aid.

According to the ministry, at least 171,428 people were injured in the war as of January 27, with an additional 1,350 injured after the ceasefire. The United Nations and human rights groups have also supported the figures from the Health Ministry.

Human rights organizations have accused the Israeli army of deliberately targeting civilians. According to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor and retired US Special Forces officer Anthony Aguilar, over 1,000 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in attacks on US-led food distribution centers between May and July 2025 alone.

Aguilar told the BBC in an exclusive interview in 2025, "Undoubtedly, I witnessed war crimes committed by the Israeli army."

• How Did Israel React to These Figures?

During the war, Israel rejected these figures, calling them misleading or distorted. The Israeli army denied accusations of deliberately targeting civilians at food distribution centers in 2025, claiming that the 'chaos' there forced soldiers to open fire due to perceived threats to their personnel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also dismissed allegations that the Israeli army intentionally targeted civilians, comparing them to 'blood libel' (a historical and antisemitic false accusation that Jews use the blood of Christian children for religious rituals).

In September 2024, Netanyahu claimed that Israel had caused the 'lowest civilian casualties in the history of modern urban warfare.' However, a military report leaked in August 2025 concluded that more than 80 percent of those killed by Israel were civilians.

An investigation by the independent magazine '+972' in April 2024 revealed that the Israeli army's artificial intelligence system, named 'Lavender,' had flagged thousands of people in Gaza as potential combatants, qualifying them for targeting.

• Why Is Israel Accepting This Now?

Israel's acceptance on Thursday of 70,000 deaths in Gaza comes after more than two years of denial or attempts to downplay the figures.

According to Sultan Barakat, a senior professor of public policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Israel's acceptance of the death toll now may have strategic reasons.

He told Al Jazeera, "As always, the crux of the matter is in the details. With increased access for the UN and other humanitarian agencies internationally, and the start of debris removal, it became impossible for Israel to continue denying it." He interpreted this move as an effort to preserve institutional credibility and show the US and European governments that it is serious.

Barakat also suggested that Israel might be accepting this figure to re-establish its narrative in international forums, as recent developments have shifted global attention from the question of 'whether genocide occurred' to discussions of reconstruction and accountability. This could also help prepare a basis for defense in future legal investigations and actions.

• Israel's History of Denial

In the past, besides denying the Gaza war death toll, Israel has also denied accusations of killing children and journalists in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

1. Hind Rajab (5-year-old girl)

On January 29, 2024, 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family were killed when the car they were in was targeted by an Israeli tank. Hind had pleaded for help on the phone to rescuers for 3 hours before she too was killed. Initially, Israel claimed its soldiers were not in the area. However, Al Jazeera's investigative unit, Sanad, analyzed phone records and satellite images and confirmed the Israeli army was present. The Israeli army later retracted its claim, stating the incident was under review.

2. Shireen Abu Akleh (Al Jazeera Journalist)

When journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on May 11, 2022, Israel initially blamed Palestinian militants. However, after video footage and various investigations confirmed she was shot by an Israeli sniper, Israel accepted it as highly probable. In 2023, an Israeli army spokesperson apologized for her death.

3. Gaza Ambulance Workers

On March 30, 2025, the bodies of 15 emergency workers were found in a mass grave in Gaza. The Israeli army initially claimed they opened fire because the ambulance did not have its lights on and approached suspiciously. However, a video found on the phone of a killed paramedic clearly showed the ambulance lights were on. The Israeli army later retracted its claim, calling it a 'professional error' and a 'misunderstanding,' and asserted that there was no attempt to hide the bodies or the ambulance.

• What is the Meaning of Denial?

According to Professor Barakat, Israel's tendency to deny and later accept is part of an 'information war.' It helps to distract independent investigations and delay or evade legal proceedings (such as at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court). By initially denying, Israel gains time to coordinate messages with its allies and assess legal risks.

Al Jazeera