Israeli media cite official accepting Hamas figure of 70,000 war dead

Israeli media report that a senior security source has said the military accepts that more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war in Gaza.

Israel has previously cast doubt on figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.

But their figures have been deemed reliable by the UN and other human rights groups and widely cited by international media.

The war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 other people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 71,660 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

It says at least 492 Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire began on 10 October 2025. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed.

Israel has always disputed the Hamas figures and said before last year's ceasefire it had killed 1,600 fighters since 7 October 2023 and another 22,000 combatants in the war.

Now a senior source has indicated to Israeli journalists, including those from Haaretz and the Times of Israel, that the total number given by the Hamas health ministry is largely accurate, even though they have not been able to break down how many were combatants and how many died as a direct result of the fighting.

The Israel Defense Forces previously said it believed two or three civilians had been killed for every dead militant.

The IDF said the latest reports did not represent its official position.