Amid the ongoing conflict, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry defends its death toll statistics, which now exceed 51,200, while facing accusations of manipulation and inaccuracy.
**Gaza's Health Ministry Refutes Claims of Inflated Death Toll Amid War**
**Gaza's Health Ministry Refutes Claims of Inflated Death Toll Amid War**
Health officials assert accuracy in reporting casualty figures as disputes arise over reliability.
In the midst of ongoing violence and turmoil in Gaza, the Hamas-led health ministry has reported that over 51,200 Palestinians have died since the onset of the Gaza war, with an alarming percentage of those deaths being children. The figures come as the ministry attempts to counter long-standing allegations from Israel regarding the manipulation of casualty data. At al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, families like that of Alam Hirzallah struggle with tragic losses, as the framework for documenting fatalities faces unprecedented challenges.
The health ministry has stated that nearly one-third of the reported fatalities involve individuals under the age of 18, leading to increased scrutiny of the demographic breakdown of the death toll. Israeli officials have claimed that the numbers are inflated and used as propaganda by Hamas, suggesting that the health ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, further complicating the assessment of casualties.
Recent media investigations have added to the debate over the reliability of these figures, highlighting discrepancies such as the removal of approximately 3,000 names from official lists, which has fueled accusations of deliberate manipulation. However, Zaher al-Wahidi, a Gazan health official, emphasized that these removals were part of an ongoing verification process aimed at enhancing data accuracy rather than an effort to mislead. The health ministry has transitioned to an online reporting system for deaths, acknowledging the difficulties in gathering accurate information under deteriorating conditions.
As the war continues without a clear resolution, the complexities surrounding casualty statistics add to the strife faced by families seeking closure for their losses. Gaza’s health ministry insists on its commitment to transparency and accuracy, even as the mounting death toll from escalating military operations raises profound humanitarian concerns about the ongoing conflict's toll on civilian lives.
