How many people have been killed in Gaza?

Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement following the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.

Houses destroyed in previous Israeli strikes lie in ruin, ahead of a ceasefire set to take effect on Sunday, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip January 16, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY      REFILE - CORRECTING FROM
Houses destroyed in previous Israeli strikes lie in ruin in Gaza. (Reuters)

Israel and Hamas have reached a tentative ceasefire agreement after nearly 15 months of devastating conflict in Gaza.

The deal aims to end hostilities that have claimed over a reported 46,000 lives, according to Gaza's health ministry.

UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the news but emphasised the urgency for humanitarian aid and a sustainable solution to the conflict.

The agreement promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes.

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Israel was expected to hold a cabinet vote on the deal on Thursday but has held off on signing the deal over what it says are last-minute attempts by Hamas to change some details of the agreement – which Hamas denies.

At least a dozen British citizens and some 1,200 Israelis were killed in a surprise cross-border attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023, triggering almost 15 months of fighting.

Protestors wave signs during a protest in Tel Aviv calling for the release of all hostages. Israel and Hamas agreed to a 42-day ceasefire, including the release of 33 hostages by Hamas in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners following 15 months of conflict that began on October 7, 2023.
Protestors wave signs during a protest in Tel Aviv calling for the release of all hostages of the Gaza war. (PA)

Israel responded with a fierce offensive that killed tens of thousands of people, displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

After weeks of painstaking negotiations in Qatar, officials announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies.

The death toll in Gaza has reached over 46,600, according to recent figures from the Gaza health ministry. According to their data, over half of these were identified as being women, children or older people.

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However, the ministry is run by Hamas, leading some to question the reliability of the figures. The actual number may be as much as 41% higher according to a peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet.

But many hospitals are no longer fully operational and critics who suggest the numbers may be lower argue that too much reliance is placed on media reports and family confirmations for casualty counts.

Nevertheless, the UN often cites the ministry's death figures in its own reports and the World Health Organization has voiced full confidence in them.

The Palestinian health ministry claims that the real figure is higher than what has been reported. They say that as many as 10,000 victims are still lying under the rubble of Israel’s aerial bombardment.

A Palestinian girl sits by the rubble of buildings destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, ahead of a ceasefire set to take effect on Sunday, in Gaza City January 16, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
A Palestinian girl sits by the rubble of buildings destroyed in Gaza. (Reuters)
Children play soccer at a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Thursday Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Children play football at a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip. (AP)

The peer-reviewed study in The Lancet also suggests that the actual number of deaths could be 41% higher than the ministry's official count for the first nine months of the conflict.

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The study, by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, estimated 64,260 deaths in Gaza between 7 October 2023 and 30 June 2024 – compared to the 37,877 reported by the Palestinian ministry of health.

The study also suggests that indirect deaths due to the broader effects of the war, like disease and lack of healthcare, might push the total death toll significantly higher.

In November last year, the UN human rights office also claimed the Palestinian figure was lower than the reality, while also suggesting that as many as 70% of the deaths were women and children. Other estimates suggest the number of women and children dead stands at around 55% of the total death toll.

Israel disputes the figures provided by the Gaza health ministry, saying that they are inflated or manipulated for propaganda purposes. Israeli officials have claimed that the actual number of civilian deaths is significantly lower.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously stated that around 30,000 people had been killed, with around 14,000 of those being Hamas fighters.

FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a ceremony for military combat officers at an army base near Mitzpe Ramon, Israel, October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously disputed the reported death toll numbers In Gaza. (Reuters)

Israel's foreign ministry has also criticised international media for uncritically citing the Gaza health ministry's statistics, arguing that they do not reflect the true situation on the ground.

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Ultimately, the complexity of the situation on the ground, including the destruction of infrastructure and the displacement of people, adds to the uncertainty of any exact number. It may be the case that it will take months for bodies to be recovered and for bodies like the UN or WHO to draw up an accurate figure.

Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip, is a small but densely populated area that is bordered by Israel to the north and east and Egypt to the south. It was part of the British Mandate of Palestine until 1948, when Israel was established.

After the Arab-Israeli War, Gaza came under Egyptian control until the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel occupied it. Since then, Gaza has been a central point of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Before the most recent conflict, Gaza was home to approximately 2.3 million Palestinians. The population faced severe challenges, with high unemployment rates, widespread poverty, and an economy crippled by a 17-year blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt, which severely restricted movement of goods and people.

Vector map of Israel and Palestine, showing the areas of the West Bank and the Gaza strip
A map of Israel and Palestine, showing the areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. (Getty)

The recent war has transformed the landscape of Gaza into one of ruin. Extensive Israeli bombing has caused widespread destruction. Tens of thousands have been displaced, living in makeshift shelters or tents, and critical services like water, electricity, and healthcare have been left severely disrupted.

Rebuilding Gaza will not be an easy – or cheap – task. According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the cost to rebuild could range from $30-50bn (£25-41bn).

The timeline is not short, either – clearing debris and providing basic services could take up to three years by some estimates, while restoring homes and providing electricity and water to the region could take as long as 16 years.