The territory's Health Ministry reports that more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reports that over 40,000 Palestinians have died in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Arpit Pattnaik
The conflict in Gaza has left the territory in ruins after more than 10 months of war, with the death toll surpassing 40,000. The health ministry, run by Hamas, has faced challenges in accurately counting the number of casualties. Israel and US President Joe Biden have raised doubts about the credibility of the daily figures reported by the ministry. However, United Nations agencies working in Gaza have vouched for the accuracy of the numbers, which are widely referenced by international organizations.
Reporters from Agence France-Presse (AFP) observed health facilities inputting death data into the ministry's database. Gaza health officials follow specific procedures for identifying and recording the details of the deceased. Personal information such as name, gender, birth date, and ID number is entered into the health ministry's digital database. If a body is unrecognizable or unclaimed, the death is recorded under a number along with any available information and distinguishing marks, such as personal items or birthmarks.
In public hospitals under the control of Hamas, the personal information and identity number of every Palestinian killed during the war are promptly entered into the hospital's database upon their death. This information is then transmitted to the ministry's central registry on a daily basis. For deaths in private hospitals and clinics, details are recorded on a form and must be submitted to the ministry within 24 hours in order to be included in the central registry.
The ministry's information center verifies the entries to eliminate duplicates or errors before saving them in the database. These measures ensure that the death toll is accurately documented and compiled.
