Gaza Fatalities Could Be Five Times Higher Than Official Figures: Report
The report, issued on Friday, includes both direct casualties and those indirectly affected by the conflict, as well as individuals who remain unaccounted for beneath the debris.
The Lancet's calculations are based on a conservative ratio of four indirect fatalities for every direct death reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
The publication stated, “It is not implausible to estimate that up to 186,000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.”
The Gaza Health Ministry's current figures indicate a minimum of 38,514 Palestinian fatalities, predominantly among women and children.
The figure provided by the ministry is “likely an underestimate,” The Lancet said.
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“The total death toll is expected to be large given the intensity of this conflict; destroyed health-care infrastructure; severe shortages of food, water, and shelter; the population’s inability to flee to safe places; and the loss of funding to UNRWA, one of the very few humanitarian organizations still active in the Gaza Strip.”
An urgent call for a ceasefire in Gaza has been made by The Lancet, emphasizing the need for immediate aid distribution, including medical supplies, food, and clean water, to meet the basic needs of the affected populace.
The Israeli regime has been attacking the besieged Gaza Strip since October 7, after Palestinian resistance forces carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in response to the regime’s increased violence against Palestinians.
Source: Agencies
