Study Estimates Over 75,000 Palestinians Killed in First 15 Months of Gaza War

A study published in the UK-based journal The Lancet Global Health estimates that more than 75,000 Palestinians were killed in the first 15 months of Israel's assault on Gaza.

The figure exceeds the roughly 49,000 deaths reported by Gaza health authorities at the time, with current Gaza Ministry of Health data standing at more than 72,000 deaths, thousands of which are believed to remain under rubble. The United Nations has consistently described Gaza health officials' data as credible.

Researchers conducted the first independent mortality survey in Gaza, based on interviews with 2,000 Palestinian households. They found that women, children and the elderly accounted for more than 52 percent of violent deaths, aligning with Gaza Ministry of Health figures.

The study refutes claims of systematic exaggeration in Gaza health ministry data and suggests an undercount of about 40 percent in the war's first nine months. Israel has questioned the figures due to Hamas control over Gaza's health ministry, though a senior Israeli military officer told local media last month that the overall numbers were broadly accurate.

In addition to the 75,000 violent deaths, the study identified over 16,000 non-violent deaths linked to disease, pre-existing conditions and indirect war-related causes.