A new peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet Global Health estimates that more than 75,000 Palestinians were killed during the first 15 months of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, a toll far higher than the roughly 49,000 deaths reported by local health officials at the time.
Published Wednesday, the study found that women, children and older adults accounted for 56.2% of those killed by violence, a breakdown researchers said broadly mirrors figures released by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The field research was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, led by veteran pollster Khalil Shikaki, who has carried out public opinion surveys in the West Bank and Gaza for decades.
The study’s lead author is Michael Spagat, a professor at Royal Holloway, University of London.
The authors described it as the first independent population-based survey of mortality in the Gaza Strip. Researchers surveyed 2,000 Palestinian households over seven days beginning Dec. 30, 2024.
