Israeli stats show civilian death rate in Gaza war is 83%, report claims — as government denies data
Classified intelligence from the Israeli military suggests that 83% of the total deaths in Gaza have been civilians, according to a new report — which the IDF has slammed as “incorrect.”
An analysis of the IDF’s own records revealed that of the nearly 53,000 people killed in Gaza as by May, 19, 2025, some 8,900 represented named fighters from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as dead or “probably dead,” according to an investigation from The Guardian, the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call.
The IDF, however, said that the figures analyzed by the outlets do not accurately reflect the realities of the war and “reflect a fundamental lack of military understanding.”
The IDF’s database names a total of 47,653 Palestinians considered active in the military wings of Hamas and the PIJ, as per the records Israel has been able to seize in Gaza.
While less than 20% of those fighters had been confirmed killed by the IDF after the first 18 months of war, intelligence sources claimed the real number of dead terrorists is much higher — as the database did not include those who were killed but not identified by name.
It also excludes Palestinians fighters who were not affiliated with the two groups, and Hamas members who were not serving in the military wing when they were killed.
The IDF’s last public statement on the death toll, released on Wednesday, puts the total number of terror operatives killed at 22,000.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 62,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists.
While the IDF has repeatedly acknowledged that the combatant-to-civilian deaths ratio in Gaza have remained the same throughout the war — with two civilians killed for every dead terrorist — the military refuted the more alarming figures released Thursday.
“The figures presented in the article are incorrect and do not reflect the data available in the IDF’s systems,” the military said in a statement.
“Throughout the war, continuous intelligence assessments are conducted regarding the number of terrorists eliminated in the Gaza Strip, based on BDA (bomb damage assessment) methodologies and cross-checking efforts from various sources. One of the sources of information cross-referenced is documents originating from terrorist organizations in the Strip,” the IDF added.
“The IDF is a professional military that operates according to operational methods accepted by many armies worldwide — the claims presented in the article are not only false but also reflect a fundamental lack of military understanding,” the Israeli military concluded.
The IDF, however, did not specify what numbers it disputed or directly address questions about the military database.
Whether it’s The Guardian’s 83% or the IDF’s 66%, the war in Gaza marks one of the bloodiest conflicts in modern times in terms of the civilian death rate.
The growing death toll in Gaza has brought international backlash against Israel over the war, which is approaching its third year as the IDF plans to escalate the fighting by invading Gaza City.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that the war will continue until Hamas is eradicated and the remaining 50 hostages are freed.