Israel had estimated the number of Israelis killed during the October 7 attack by Hamas to be about 1400 people. The recent assessment, however, shows that over 200 counted bodies belonged to the Hamas fighters.
Israel has reduced the official government estimate from an assault by the Palestinian organization Hamas to about 1,200 deaths. Formerly, Israel announced the 10/7 casualties at number around 1400.
The Reuters quoted Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman as saying in a press release yesterday that “the official number of victims of the October 7 massacre is around 1,200.”
According to Lior Haiat, the amount was revised on Thursday. Haiat claims that the figure was changed because unidentifiable bodies that were previously counted in the total probably represent Palestinian combatants, as reported by the AFP.
The revised number is this one, Haiat informed AFP. “The reason for this is that many bodies were missing their identities, leading us to believe that they are terrorists rather than Israeli victims.”~
Haiat wrote on X on Friday, critiquing a UNESCO decision and claiming that Hamas had murdered “about 1,200 people” in the assault.
The revised total was released over 30 days after southern Israel’s cities, kibbutzim, and military bases were assaulted by Palestinian fighters. It involved killings of Israeli people at an arts festival and in suburban areas.
Additionally, according to Israeli officials, Palestinian organizations kidnapped about 240 persons during the assault. In response, Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip with constant shelling, blocking the access of over a 2.3-million people to fuel, food, and power. The country announced “total blockade” on Gaza pushing the city to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.
According to Palestinian sources, ceaseless Israeli airstrikes have destroyed whole neighborhoods, uprooted almost 70% of Gaza’s population, and claimed 11,078 lives. Israeli has displaced over 1.5 million Gazan from the north and destroyed, partially or fully, half of the residential units.
Over half of hospitals are out of service, with the biggest one encircled by Israeli forces. Israeli troops shelled migrant camps and UNRWA centers, claiming they were used by Hamas forces. They also stroke multiple schools and kindergartens leading to the death of thousands of children. In total, over 70% of casualties in Gaza are children, women, and the elderly.
Humanitarian circumstances in the Gaza Strip have gotten worse, according to the UN. Israel’s airstrikes on the region amount to collective punishment of a people with limited alternatives for finding safety. People are forced to move to the South they could find no shelter, food, or medical services.
