**Gaza Death Toll May Be Much Higher, Researchers Say**
Researchers have found that the death toll in the Gaza war may be much higher than officially reported. A study by researchers in the UK used data from both the Palestinian health ministry and a survey of relatives to estimate that 64,260 Palestinians had died from traumatic injuries up until June 30, 2024.
**Under-Reporting Found**
The study found that there was a 41% under-reporting of deaths. This means that the actual number of deaths may be higher than the official figures reported by the Palestinian health ministry. The ministry updates its death tolls daily and compiles figures from hospital reports, family members, and media reports.
**Israeli Claims Questioned**
Israel has claimed to have “eliminated more than 17,000 terrorists” but it is unclear how they arrived at this number. Israel says that it only targets combatants and tries to minimize civilian casualties. However, researchers point out that the overlap between different attempts at counting deaths suggests that the actual number of deaths may be higher.
**Difficulty in Verifying Facts**
Israel does not allow independent access to Gaza for international journalists, making it difficult to verify facts on the ground. Researchers counted how many times the same people appeared in different attempts at counting deaths and found an overlap between these lists.
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