9 July 2024: The death toll from Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza may be as high as 186,000, according to a new analysis published by the medical journal, The Lancet. This figure is significantly higher than current estimates, suggesting a deeper level of devastation in the region.
Authors Rasha Khatib, Martin McKee, and Salim Yusuf based their findings on an estimate from the ‘Global Burden of Armed Violence’ report by the Geneva Declaration. They applied a ratio of four indirect deaths for every one direct death to the 37,396 direct deaths reported by Gaza’s health authorities. This method, used to account for deaths caused by worsening social, economic, and health conditions in conflict areas, led to the higher death toll estimate.
Gaza’s health ministry recently updated its casualty figures, reporting 38,193 killed and 87,903 wounded. The World Health Organization also noted a rise in health issues, including over 865,000 cases of acute respiratory infections and nearly half a million cases of diarrhea as of May 26.
Adding to the humanitarian crisis, Al Jazeera reported that 436 cancer patients had died due to a lack of treatment. The Lancet’s report emphasized the critical need for an immediate ceasefire and the distribution of essential supplies to address the ongoing humanitarian needs in Gaza.
This high death toll estimate represents 7.9% of Gaza’s pre-war population, highlighting the extensive impact of the conflict. The report calls for urgent international measures to prevent further destruction and ensure the preservation of evidence related to alleged acts of genocide as per the International Court of Justice’s interim measures from January.
