The Israel-Hamas war appears to have become much less deadly for Palestinian women and children, according to an AP analysis of Gaza Health Ministry data. The shift is significant because the death rate for women and children is the best available proxy for civilian casualties in one of the 21st century’s most destructive conflicts.
FILE - Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza Strip , on March 4, 2024. An AP analysis of Gaza Health Ministry data finds the proportion of Palestinian women and children being killed in the Israel-Hamas war appears to have declined sharply. Israel faces heavy international criticism over unprecedented levels of civilian casualties in Gaza.
The AP’s analysis looked at these lists, which were shared on social media in late October, early January, late March, and the end of April. The fate of women and children is an important indicator of civilian casualties because the Health Ministry does not break out combatant deaths. But it’s not a perfect indicator: Many civilian men have died, and some older teenagers may be involved in the fighting.The ministry said publicly on April 30 that 34,622 had died in the war.
Some critics say the ministry’s imprecise methodologies – relying on families and “media reports” to confirm deaths – have added additional uncertainty to the figures.
Israel Israel Government War And Unrest Palestinian Territories Government General News Politics Gaza Strip Hamas I World News Death Rates World News
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hamas' Gaza health ministry under microscope as questions continue over number of deathsHamas officials have been saying for months that the health system in the Gaza Strip no longer functions, yet the data it publishes daily is still widely quoted around the world.
Read more »
Palestinian Health Minister: 80 Percent of Health Centers in Gaza Have Shut DownNeither northern Gaza nor Israel’s “humanitarian zone” in southern Gaza have functioning hospitals.
Read more »
Live blog: Gaza death toll nears 35,400 as Israel continues to pound GazaIsrael has killed at least 35,386 people — majority of them babies, children and women — and wounded over 79,336 in its 225-day war on Gaza.
Read more »
Live blog: Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 34,943 — ministryIsrael's war on besieged Gaza, now in its 217th day, has killed at least 34,943 people — 70 percent of them babies, children and women — and wounded over 78,572.
Read more »
Live blog: Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 35,091 — ministryIsrael's aggression on besieged Gaza, now in its 220th day, has killed at least 35,091 people — 70 percent of them babies, children and women — and wounded over 78,827.
Read more »
Live blog: Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 35,173 — ministryIsrael's war on besieged Gaza, now in its 221st day, has killed at least 35,173 people — 70% of them babies, children and women — and wounded over 79,061 while some 10,000+ Palestinians are feared buried under the debris of bombed buildings.
Read more »