The “Wall Street Journal” reported today that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have suggested that the estimates provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza Strip may be accurate. According to the IDF, between 11-13 thousand Hamas fighters and others were killed during the recent conflict, with two civilians being killed for each fighter, resulting in a total of 33-39 thousand deaths.
Initially, the Israeli government was skeptical of these Palestinian assessments. Sources close to the government had expressed doubts about the reliability of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is believed to be influenced by Hamas. There were also concerns raised about the accuracy of the data breakdown by gender and age groups. However, after evaluating these concerns, the IDF has now suggested that overall numbers reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health could be accurate.