Even if Israel’s defensive military campaign in Gaza were to cease today, claims about the death toll spiraling into the hundreds of thousands are misleading. A letter published in the medical journal The Lancet speculates that the final figure could reach up to 186,000, a projection that not only lacks concrete evidence but also relies on questionable comparisons to entirely different conflicts.
Israel has been conducting a targeted military operation against Hamas, a terrorist group that has launched thousands of rockets indiscriminately into Israeli cities, while embedding itself within the civilian infrastructure of Gaza. Civilian casualties, while deeply tragic, are a direct consequence of Hamas’ use of human shields and exploitation of densely populated areas to conduct its military operations.
Questionable Data and Hamas Propaganda
The claim that 38,000 people have been killed in Gaza comes from Gaza’s Health Ministry—an entity controlled by Hamas. This figure is not independently verifiable and is regularly inflated to serve as propaganda. Even the United Nations and other international bodies have expressed doubts about the accuracy of casualty numbers released by Hamas. Additionally, the suggestion that 10,000 people remain buried under rubble without being accounted for is speculative at best, designed to provoke outrage without providing evidence.
Israel has gone to extraordinary lengths to minimize civilian harm, including issuing warnings before strikes and providing humanitarian corridors for civilians to evacuate. Meanwhile, Hamas continues to violate international law by firing rockets from schools, hospitals, and residential areas, all while hoarding resources meant for civilians to support its military infrastructure.
Distorted Comparisons with Other Conflicts
The article’s comparison of Gaza with other conflicts, like the Indonesian occupation of East Timor or the war in South Sudan, ignores the unique circumstances in Gaza. In both of those examples, mass displacement and famine were driven by state-sponsored campaigns of genocide or mass killings. In contrast, the situation in Gaza is largely the result of Hamas’ mismanagement and prioritization of military spending over the needs of its population.
While Gaza’s healthcare and infrastructure have certainly been strained, Hamas has diverted significant amounts of international aid to fund terror activities, including building tunnels and manufacturing weapons. Had these resources been allocated for hospitals, schools, and clean water, the humanitarian situation in Gaza would be vastly improved. The blame for Gaza’s suffering lies squarely with Hamas, not Israel.
Humanitarian Aid and Hamas’ Cynical Manipulation
The narrative suggesting that Israel is halting aid or deliberately causing humanitarian crises in Gaza is equally misleading. While it’s true that security measures at border crossings can delay supplies, these measures are necessary to prevent Hamas from smuggling in weapons and explosives. In fact, Israel continues to allow shipments of food, medicine, and fuel into Gaza, even in the midst of conflict.
Hamas, on the other hand, has consistently blocked or redirected aid meant for the civilian population. Its actions are part of a broader strategy to weaponize suffering and use civilians as pawns in its war against Israel. The international community must recognize that Hamas bears primary responsibility for Gaza’s humanitarian plight.
