In all major hostilities between Israel and Hamas, including in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021, Palestinian deaths in the territories are recorded to vastly outnumber Israeli deaths. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, recent data indicates that the number of Palestinian casualties in the Gaza Strip has exceeded the total casualties from the past 15 years of conflicts with Israel. During the deadliest day on Oct. 7, more than 1,400 people in Israel, primarily civilians, lost their lives. As a result of intentional Israeli airstrikes, buildings in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City were decimated by Oct. 11, 2023.
Revealing the current ongoing war in Gaza to be the deadliest of numerous flashpoints between Israel and Hamas, historical data indicates that Palestinians bear the brunt of the conflict. With over 11,000 people killed by Israeli forces following Hamas militants’ lethal attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, the figure surpasses the total number of Palestinian deaths from the past 15 years. Even Israel suffered massive losses, with Oct. 7 being declared as “the deadliest day for Jews since the holocaust,” resulting in nearly four times the total number of Israelis killed from such conflicts since 2008.
According to UN data collated by CNBC, fatalities are significantly disproportionate, revealing that several Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, exceeding Israeli casualties by many times annually. From 2008, Palestinian civilian deaths exceed Israeli civilian casualties by a huge difference. Since 2008, more than 18,600 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank have been killed in conflicts with Israel. During this period, the numbers from the UN show at least 1,500 Israelis who lost their lives during conflicts.
The reasons behind the significant disproportion in casualty numbers lies in Israel’s employment of advanced military tools aimed predominantly at civilian areas in the Palestinian territories. The Gaza Strip, occupying 140 square miles with a population of 2.3 million, is one of the most densely populated territories globally. Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by major world powers, has tightly controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
In response to Hamas allegations, the Israel Defense Forces claim that they are taking necessary precautions to prevent civilian casualties, emphasizing that Hamas has embedded itself within civilian infrastructure. Hamas’ extensive use of Palestinians as human shields has been another challenge for Israel in distinguishing between military and civilian assets.
As the conflict persists, Israel has pledged to “crush” Hamas, but eradicating militants embedded within civilian infrastructure is a challenging feat. Despite the difficulty, Israel has reportedly targeted Hamas operatives while gaining support for its actions with exact details about Hamas’ alleged human rights abuses being difficult to verify independently.
Hamas, with leadership both inside and outside Gaza and tens of thousands of members, is difficult to eliminate for Israel, prompting experts to acknowledge the high civilian cost that will be paid by the people of Gaza.
