A report in the “Wall Street Journal” stated today that the IDF has acknowledged the accuracy of the estimates provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza Strip. The army’s assessment suggests that between 11 to 13 thousand Hamas fighters and others were killed, and two civilians were killed for each fighter, indicating a total of 33 to 39 thousand deaths. The IDF also acknowledges that some civilians were killed due to actions taken by terrorists, such as missiles that veered off course.
Initially, the Israeli government was skeptical about the Palestinian assessments. Sources close to the government claimed that the Ministry of Health in Gaza is influenced by Hamas and therefore not reliable. There were also questions raised about the breakdown of data by gender and age groups. However, after considering these concerns, the IDF has come to the conclusion that the overall numbers reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health could be accurate.