Israel accepts health authorities’ Gaza death toll is broadly accurate, saying 70,000 have died

The Israeli military has recently acknowledged that the death toll reported by Gaza's health authorities is largely accurate, estimating that around 70,000 Palestinians have died as a result of military actions since October 2023. This marks a notable departure from Israel's earlier position, which dismissed such figures as propaganda from Hamas. The admission was made by a senior security official during a briefing with Israeli journalists. This development represents a significant shift in the narrative surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly regarding the reliability of casualty statistics. Historically, Israeli officials have often rejected Palestinian death tolls as inflated or politically driven, reflecting a broader trend of information manipulation in wartime contexts. The acceptance of these figures may signal a change in Israel's approach or an acknowledgment of the profound humanitarian consequences of ongoing military operations. This situation highlights the complexities of war reporting and the difficulties in establishing trust in data during conflicts. The implications of this acknowledgment could affect international perceptions and responses to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, making it a crucial moment in the evolving narrative of the conflict.