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Edited by: Fern Sidman
The United Nations has recently made a significant adjustment to its previously published data regarding the number of women and children killed in Gaza, leading to serious questions about data accuracy and the processes used to verify such critical information, according to a report published on Saturday in The Jerusalem Post. This change in reported fatalities raises concerns about the reliability of the data provided by local sources and highlights the challenges in obtaining accurate casualty figures in conflict zones.
On May 6, the UN reported that 34,735 people had been killed in Gaza, including over 9,500 women and over 14,500 children. These figures were based on data collected from the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health and the Government Media Office in Gaza, as well as Israeli authorities, as was reported by the JPost. Just two days later, on May 8, the numbers were revised. The updated data showed a total of 34,844 fatalities, but the number of women and children reported killed was significantly lower, with 4,959 women and 7,797 children listed.
The initial and revised figures were drawn from local administrative sources within Gaza and corroborative data from Israeli sources. The UN itself included a disclaimer below the data: “The UN has so far not been able to produce independent, comprehensive, and verified casualty figures,” as per the information provided in the JPost report.
The revised figures indicate that as of April 30, a total of 24,686 deaths had been identified. Among these, 10,006 were men, and 1,924 were elderly, the JPost report explained. The distribution of fatalities, according to the latest data, shows that men constituted 40% of the identified deaths, children 32%, and women 20%.
The integrity of casualty figures reported by Gazan authorities has been a subject of intense scrutiny and controversy, culminating in significant international criticism and accusations of data manipulation. The recent UN revision of the number of women and children killed in Gaza, which saw a dramatic halving of the previously reported figures, further fuels the ongoing debate about the accuracy of the data provided by Hamas officials at the Gaza Health Ministry.
For several months, prominent statisticians and policy analysts have questioned the casualty figures released by the Hamas operated health ministry in Gaza. Criticism peaked with the release of a report by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in January, which pointed out major discrepancies in the fatality reports attributed to the Hamas authorities in Gaza, the JPost report pointed out. The institute’s analysis suggested that these discrepancies were likely due to deliberate manipulation of data.
Professor Abraham Wyner’s research that was published in Tablet Magazine further elucidates the statistical improbabilities found in the Hamas supplied data. The JPost reported that according to Wyner, the pattern of reported deaths was unnaturally consistent, showing a regular increase by approximately 270 plus or minus 15 percent. Wyner argued that such regularity is statistically impossible in the context of warfare, where the intensity and thus the fatalities should be highly irregular, as was indicated in the JPost report. His analysis implies that the figures might have been altered to present a misleading narrative or to serve specific political or humanitarian agendas.
Critics argue that the numbers reported by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry are inflated or misrepresented, suggesting a strategic motive to garner international sympathy and support by portraying the conflict as disproportionately affecting civilians. The assertion that the majority of the casualties are women and children conflicts with other reports that suggest a significant portion of the deaths may be combatants from Hamas, an organization known for its military engagements with Israel.
The challenge in verifying these figures is compounded by the restricted access to Gaza, making independent verification nearly impossible. However, some statistical analysis of the casualty reports released by the Gaza Health Ministry from October 26 to November 10, 2023, offers potential insights. By analyzing the daily casualty figures, including specific counts of women and children, researchers can employ forensic statistical methods to detect anomalies or patterns that might indicate manipulation or exaggeration of data.
It is crucial to consider that while the international community relies heavily on these figures to understand the scope of the tragedy, the inherent bias and potential manipulation of data by a party directly involved in the conflict must be critically evaluated. The implications of these casualty figures are profound, impacting humanitarian aid, international relations, and policy decisions. As such, the integrity of this data is not just a matter of academic interest but of international ethical concern, highlighting the need for continued scrutiny and the pursuit of independent verification wherever possible.
The potential manipulation of casualty data has profound implications. Accurate and reliable data are crucial for:
Humanitarian Response: Misrepresentation of death tolls can lead to misallocation of international aid and resources, potentially diverting assistance away from other urgent needs.
Political Repercussions: Inflated or manipulated casualty figures can influence international opinion and policy decisions, possibly leading to escalations in conflict or affecting peace negotiations.
Public Perception: Accuracy in reporting affects public perception both locally and internationally. Inaccurate reporting can fuel propaganda and mistrust among the international community.
Verifying casualty figures in a conflict zone is fraught with challenges. The primary issues include:
Access Restrictions: Often, conflict zones are inaccessible to international observers, making independent verification difficult.
Reliability of Sources: In many cases, the only available sources are local authorities or organizations with potential biases.
Technological and Methodological Limitations: In the chaos of conflict, collecting precise data is often not feasible. Methods used may lack the necessary sophistication to ensure accuracy.
In recent research published in Fathom Journal, a detailed analysis by Dr. Tom Simpson, Prof. Lewi Stone, and Prof. Gregory Rose scrutinizes the categorization of fatality data by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, according to a report that appeared on Monday on The Times of Israel web site.
Dr. Simpson, an economist with a background from the University of Western Australia, together with Prof. Stone, a biomathematician associated with Tel Aviv University and RMIT University, and Prof. Rose, an international law expert at the University of Wollongong, have brought their diverse expertise to bear on this issue. The TOI reported that their analysis focuses on the ministry’s division of casualty data into “identified” deaths, those confirmed in hospitals, and “unregistered” deaths, which are based on reports from what the ministry calls “reliable media sources.”
This differentiation is critical because it sheds light on the discrepancies in the reported data. The researchers point out that the proportion of women and children in the recorded deaths is vastly different between these two categories, the TOI report said. For instance, from October 7 to December 31, the Gaza Health Ministry reported 21,978 deaths, with 15,349 being hospital-registered and 6,629 unregistered. According to the ministry, 60% of the hospital-registered fatalities were women and children. To claim that 70% of all deaths were women and children, an improbable 92% of the unregistered deaths would need to be women and children—a statistic the researchers argue is “statistically absurd.”
This analysis raises substantial concerns about the reliability of the unregistered data and suggests potential inflation or misrepresentation of the figures reported through media sources. Indicated in the TOI report is that this issue is compounded by the lack of clarity from the ministry on how these categories were determined and what sources were deemed reliable.
Furthermore, as noted by David Adesnik from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, the Gaza Health Ministry later adjusted its categorization to distinguish between cases with “complete data” and those with only “incomplete data,” affecting some 11,300 of the reported 33,000 fatalities at the time, according to the information provided in the TOI report.
In addition to the research published in the Fathom Journal, HonestReporting.com indicated that in his analysis for the Washington Institute, Gabriel Epstein observed an identical trend, with the number of total men killed in northern Gaza decreasing by 22 over five days in March 2024.
Epstein’s analysis points to a notable decrease in male casualties over a specific period in March 2024, which he correlates with a simultaneous increase in female casualties as noted by Wyner in October 2023. This pattern suggests potential manipulation of the data.
Wyner’s assertion that the statistical anomalies indicate a process “unconnected or loosely connected to reality” used in reporting these numbers highlights a critical issue. Such inconsistencies could indeed suggest that the figures are being manipulated. This manipulation could serve various purposes, including influencing public perception and international response.
The potential reasons behind the manipulation of these figures are complex. One plausible explanation is that male fighters, often away from civilian areas, might be underreported by Hamas. This underreporting could stem from several factors, including the strategic considerations of Hamas to not disclose actual militant casualties, possibly due to fears of retaliation or to maintain operational secrecy.
Furthermore, the manipulation of casualty figures could also be aimed at drawing international scrutiny towards Israel’s military actions, portraying them in a negative light to pressure Israel to reduce or cease its military operations. This strategy appears to be part of broader efforts by Hamas to sway public opinion and gain international sympathy by presenting an image of disproportionate aggression against Palestinians.

