Study Finds Gaza War Casualty Claims Inflated

A new report from the Henry Jackson Society claims that casualty figures reported by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry are significantly inflated, misleading the international community regarding the impact of the conflict. The report asserts that the ministry's death toll of over 44,000 includes misclassified deaths, such as men listed as women and adults recorded as children, resulting in a distorted narrative portraying Israel as disproportionately targeting civilians. Researchers estimate that around 17,000 of the reported deaths are likely combatants, challenging the portrayal of the conflict's casualties. Critics, including Palestinian officials, argue that the report undermines verified figures from international organizations, which suggest that civilian deaths remain tragically high. The study highlights the challenges of independently verifying casualty numbers due to restricted access for journalists in Gaza. Overall, the findings suggest a concerted effort to manipulate casualty statistics for political purposes, complicating the global understanding of the conflict.