"The dead in Gaza may exceed 186,000, with a "signature" also from the USA"
The Lancet magazine publishes that the actual number of dead in the war in Gaza may exceed 186,000 inhabitants, i.e. 8% of the population of the Palestinian enclave!
The official death toll stands at nearly 38,200, according to the latest tally from Hamas' health ministry.
However, a recent report by The Lancet, titled “Counting the dead in Gaza: Difficult but necessary”, suggests that this number is much higher.
The true number likely includes thousands more trapped under the rubble and those who have succumbed to the effects of war, such as malnutrition, disease and lack of medical care.
The 14,000 bombs supplied by the US to Israel contributed to the widespread loss of life. These bombs have not only caused direct casualties, but have also destroyed Gaza's infrastructure, exacerbating conditions leading to additional deaths.
The destruction of health care facilities, food distribution networks and sanitation systems has left the population in a precarious situation.
The Lancet highlights the difficulty of collecting accurate data because of the widespread destruction.
“The number of reported deaths is probably much higher. The non-governmental organization Airwars receives detailed assessments of incidents in the Gaza Strip and often finds that not all names of identifiable victims are included in the ministry's list. In addition, the UN estimates that: By 29 February 2024, 35% of buildings in the Gaza Strip had been destroyed, so the number of bodies still buried in the rubble is likely significant, with estimates over 10,000,” it said.
The report warns: "The total death toll is expected to be high considering the intensity of this war, the damaged health care infrastructure, the severe shortages of food, water and shelter, the inability of the population to escape to safe places and the disruption funding of UNRWA, one of the few humanitarian organizations still active in the Gaza Strip."
Nine months into Israel's war, sparked by deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7 in southern Israel, vast swathes of the Gaza Strip have been leveled and reduced to rubble, with the Palestinian enclave under siege with severe shortages of food, drinking water and medicines.
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