#IsraelHamasWar / The number of fatalities in Gaza is likely three times higher than the official figure (Dr. Marteen Wein)
Based on global models, a reasonable estimate is that the true death toll in #Gaza already exceeds the official figure by at least 3 times, so likely over 90,000. The long-term effects of malnutrition, disease, trauma and devastation will drive the excess mortality much higher in the coming months.
Dr. Wein is suggesting that the official tally only counts those directly killed in the attacks, not the much larger excess mortality from secondary causes related to the disaster. This underestimate serves Israeli and Western interests by making the humanitarian catastrophe and crimes committed in Gaza appear smaller.
#Hamas has an interest in keeping official casualty figures in Gaza relatively low for political reasons, and has undercounted victims since the start of the war.
According to Dr. Wein, Hamas is manipulating the death toll numbers in three key ways:
Not counting Gazans killed or captured inside Israel during the October 7 attack
Categorizing many dead buried in rubble as "missing" rather than deceased
Undercounting wounded who died of infections, as well as starvation deaths
Dr. Martin “Moussa” Wein has taught history at Tel Aviv University and New York University. He specializes in Jaffa’s history, Czech-Israeli relations and inter-religious studies.
