The struggle to keep track of Gaza war deaths

The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which escalated following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, has resulted in over 41,467 reported deaths according to the health ministry in Gaza. This ministry, while operating under Hamas's control since 2007, has a history predating the group, and its staff includes individuals not aligned with Hamas. The process of recording deaths involves identifying bodies through relatives or personal items, and unrecognizable bodies are logged with available information for future identification. In public hospitals, the personal details of deceased individuals are entered into a database immediately after death, with daily updates sent to a central registry. Private hospitals are also required to report deaths within 24 hours. The ministry's information center works to verify these entries to eliminate duplicates and errors, ensuring the accuracy of the data. An investigation by Airwars revealed a significant correlation between the health ministry's data and reports from Palestinian civilians, with 75% of names reported online matching those in the ministry's records. Despite criticism from Israeli authorities regarding the lack of distinction between combatants and civilians in the reported figures, the overall numbers have not been disputed. Several UN agencies have deemed the ministry's figures credible. The conflict has not only led to a high death toll but has also raised questions about the reliability of the data being reported. The situation remains dire, with ongoing violence and humanitarian concerns affecting the civilian population in Gaza.