Israel has for the first time acknowledged the Gaza death toll compiled by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which estimates over 70,000 killed since the war began on October 7, 2023.

Thousands more remain missing under rubble, and at least 440 people have died of starvation after Israel restricted aid access, reports Al Jazeera.

During the conflict, Israel repeatedly denied or downplayed Palestinian figures, issuing its own fluctuating statistics while accusing Gaza authorities of exaggeration. Investigations and eyewitness reports, however, confirmed that a vast majority of those killed were civilians, including children and women. Israeli forces were also implicated in high-profile killings, such as five-year-old Hind Rajab, Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, and 15 emergency responders whose bodies were found in a mass grave in southern Gaza. In each case, Israel initially rejected responsibility, later attributing the deaths to operational errors, crossfire, or poor visibility.

Experts say Israel’s acknowledgment is largely strategic. Sultan Barakat, a public policy professor, told Al Jazeera that international scrutiny, increased UN access, and ongoing rubble clearance made continued denial untenable.

Accepting the figures allows Israel to preserve institutional credibility, signal seriousness to allies like the US and European countries, and prepare a legal record for potential future inquiries without admitting wrongdoing.

This shift reflects a recurring pattern in Israel’s military operations, where denial and manipulation of casualty figures are followed by selective acceptance once evidence becomes indisputable.

Analysts also note that delaying acknowledgment serves both diplomatic and legal purposes, allowing Israel to control messaging and limit accountability in international forums.