• Independent research indicates over 75,000 violent deaths in Gaza since October 2023.
• The Gaza Ministry of Health's figures are deemed conservative yet reliable.
• Women, children, and the elderly account for over half of the reported deaths.
• Significant obstacles complicate accurate mortality reporting in Gaza.
• Non-violent deaths related to the conflict exceed 16,300.

Recent studies have revealed that the true number of violent deaths in Gaza during the ongoing conflict exceeds 75,000, far surpassing earlier official estimates. According to a comprehensive survey published in The Lancet Global Health, the Gaza Mortality Survey reported 75,200 "violent deaths" between October 7, 2023, and January 5, 2025. This figure represents a 35% increase over the 49,090 deaths officially reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health (MoH) for the same period, highlighting the extent of human loss in the conflict, particularly among vulnerable populations like women and children, who comprise more than half of the casualties, according to Middle East Eye, Al Jazeera, and Le Monde.

This research casts doubt on the reliability of the Gaza MoH's figures, which have often been criticized for allegedly overstating casualties. The findings suggest that, despite claims of exaggeration, the MoH has actually underreported deaths due to challenges in recovering and identifying bodies amidst the destruction. The independent study indicates that around 40% of deaths may be unrecorded when including non-violent deaths linked to the conflict by deteriorating health conditions, according to Le Monde, and corroborated by Middle East Eye.

The assessments conducted in Gaza also confirmed that women, children, and the elderly represent 56% of the violent deaths, amounting to more than 42,200 individuals. The Gaza Mortality Survey involved interviews with 2,000 households, providing a statistically robust basis for these findings, as highlighted by researchers from various academic backgrounds who participated in the work published in The Lancet Global Health, reporting their methodical approach to assessing mortality rates through direct familial interactions, according to Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera.

Data also indicates that beyond the violent deaths, approximately 16,300 "non-violent" deaths occurred, exacerbated by the healthcare collapse, malnutrition, and adverse living conditions stemming from the conflict. Researchers have emphasized that the conditions in Gaza pose severe challenges to accurately documenting these mortality figures, compounding the difficulty in assessing the total impact on the population. "The systematic destruction of both essential infrastructure and healthcare services has radically altered the landscape of mortality reporting," they asserted, according to Le Monde and Middle East Eye.