Israeli Military Briefing Reportedly Confirms Gaza Death Toll Nears 70,000, Aligning with Palestinian Health Ministry Figures

In a private briefing to Israeli journalists this week, military officials reportedly acknowledged that the Palestinian death toll in Gaza is approximately 70,000, a number that aligns closely with figures long maintained by the territory's health ministry, according to reports from major Israeli news outlets. This marks a notable departure from earlier official statements that had repeatedly cast doubt on the ministry's casualty counts.

Citing unnamed military sources, the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday that officials stated, "We estimate that about 70,000 Gazans were killed in the war, not including the missing." Israel's public broadcaster, Kan 11, attributed the information to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), adding that an effort is now underway to analyze the proportion of civilians versus militants among the dead.

The reported military assessment comes just a day after the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza released its latest figures, stating that 71,667 Palestinians have been killed and 171,343 injured since the war began. These totals include 492 fatalities since a ceasefire took effect in mid-October. The ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its public reports, has consistently published detailed lists of the deceased throughout the conflict.

For months, Israeli authorities had publicly questioned the credibility of the health ministry's data, alleging that the Hamas-run administration inflated casualty numbers. The IDF spokesperson's office declined to confirm the details of the reported briefing, stating in an official response: "The details published do not reflect official IDF data. Any publication or report on this matter will be released through official and orderly channels." The spokesperson did not comment on whether the IDF maintains its own internal tally of Palestinian casualties.

Despite the lack of formal public acknowledgment, references to a high death toll have surfaced in private remarks by senior Israeli figures in recent months. In an audio recording aired by Channel 12 news last August, former IDF intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva was heard stating, "The fact that there are already 50,000 dead in Gaza is necessary and required for future generations." The timeline of his comments was unclear, but the reported death toll surpassed 50,000 in March 2025. Similarly, former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi remarked in September that over 10% of Gaza's 2.2 million population had been killed or injured, a figure that closely matched health ministry statistics at the time.

The reported military briefing, if accurate, represents a significant moment in the war's narrative, potentially impacting international discourse and accountability measures. It underscores the devastating human cost of the conflict and raises questions about the transparency of wartime communications.

Reactions & Analysis

David Cohen, Political Analyst at Tel Aviv University: "This isn't just about numbers; it's about narrative control. For the IDF to privately concede these figures to journalists suggests an internal recognition that the official line is unsustainable. It's a preparatory move, likely anticipating future commissions of inquiry or international legal proceedings."

Amira Hassan, Human Rights Researcher, Gaza: "Every number has a name, a family, a story. While this reported acknowledgment is a grim validation of what we have been documenting daily, it comes far too late. The systematic dismissal of our data for months was a tactic to dehumanize the loss and deflect responsibility. The world watched this skepticism play out in real-time."

Mark Richardson, Former UN Official, Geneva: "The alignment of figures is tragically unsurprising. In modern conflicts, initial disparities in casualty counts often converge over time. The key issue now is the breakdown between combatants and civilians, which will be central to any legal assessments of proportionality under international humanitarian law."

Sarah Klein, Commentator for The Jerusalem Post: "This 'leaked' briefing is a disgraceful capitulation to Hamas propaganda, fed by a media all too eager to paint Israel as the villain. Our soldiers fight the most moral war in history against terrorists embedded in civilian populations. Focusing on a raw death toll, without context of Hamas's tactics, is not just misleading—it's morally bankrupt journalism that fuels antisemitism."