A recent study published in the Lancet journal shows that the Israeli genocide of Gaza could mean that more than 186,000 people were killed. The official death toll according to the Gaza Ministry of Health is more than 38,000 people. The discrepancy in the numbers is due to Gaza’s official health ministry and health infrastructure being decimated by the Israeli occupation. The World Health Organization has said that 84% of health facilities are damaged or destroyed.
The Lancet study explains that collecting data is difficult due to the destruction of infrastructure. The UN estimates that 35% of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed, and the number of bodies still buried under the rubble is unknown.
The study says, “In recent conflicts, such indirect deaths range from three to 15 times the number of direct deaths. Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death9 to the 37 396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza. Using the 2022 Gaza Strip population estimate of 2 375 259, this would translate to 7·9% of the total population in the Gaza Strip.”
According to Al Jazeera, the following have been destroyed by Israel in Gaza:
- More than 50% of homes in Gaza
- 80% of commercial facilities
- 88% of school buildings
- More than half of Gaza’s hospitals
- 65% of road networks
- 267 places of worship
Every hour in Gaza, 15 people are killed, six of which are children, 35 people are injured, 42 bombs are dropped, and 12 buildings are destroyed. More than 100 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israel.
The Lancet study goes over another aspect of war and genocide: indirect health implications beyond direct harm of violence. Even if the genocide ends now, it will continue to cause indirect deaths in the coming years. The UN has estimated that Gaza infrastructure damages are estimated at $18.5 billion. This is equivalent to 97% of the combined GDP of the occupied West Bank and Gaza in 2022.
Public service infrastructure, like water, health, and education, accounts for 19% of damages. It’s also estimated that 26 million tonnes of debris and rubble was created by the destruction, something that will take years to remove.
