UN confirms total number of deaths in Gaza remains unchanged despite controversy over revised data

The United Nations has provided a clarification regarding the number of fatalities in Gaza reported by the Ministry of Health. The total number of deaths remains unchanged at over 35,000 since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7th. On May 8th, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA released a report with revised data on Palestinian casualties during the war.

The report indicated a decrease in the number of women and children believed to have been killed, citing that they are now only counting fully documented cases. This means that only those individuals whose details, such as name and date of birth, have been recorded are included in the count. UN spokesperson Farhan Haq explained that the health ministry in Gaza had published two separate death tolls - an overall total and a number of identified fatalities.

The UN report focused on the fully documented fatalities, leading to some confusion among the public. According to the Gaza health ministry, out of the total 34,622 fatalities recorded in Gaza as of April 30th, 24,686 have been fully identified. This includes 7,797 children, 4,959 women, 1,924 elderly individuals, and 10,006 men.

The process of fully identifying casualties is still ongoing. Despite the distinction between identified and unidentified individuals, officials from the Palestinian Ministry of Health have emphasized that the total number of deaths remains the same. Additionally, the total does not include approximately 10,000 individuals who are still missing and trapped under rubble in Gaza.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas began when Hamas, the governing militant group in Gaza, launched attacks on Israel resulting in a high number of casualties and abductions. Israel responded with a military assault on Gaza, causing widespread destruction and shortages of critical supplies. The Palestinian health ministry's daily report, backed by the UN and U.S. officials, confirms the number of deaths reported in the revised OCHA document. According to the latest report, 15,103 children and 9,961 women have been killed in Gaza since the conflict started on October 7th.

It is important to note that CNN, while reporting on the figures provided by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, cannot independently verify these numbers. The ministry does not differentiate between casualties among combatants and civilians. In conclusion, the situation in Gaza remains dire with a high number of casualties and individuals still missing.

The United Nations and various agencies continue to monitor the situation and provide support to those affected by the ongoing conflict.