For the first time since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza, the Israeli military has privately accepted casualty figures that place the number of Palestinians killed at more than 71,000 since early October. The acknowledgement marks a significant shift after months of dismissing local health records as unreliable, and comes as devastation across the enclave leaves little doubt about the magnitude of loss endured by the civilian population.

Health registries compiled inside Gaza, long maintained under extreme conditions, have consistently documented fatalities with detailed personal data. While these records were previously rejected outright, Israeli officials now concede that the overall scale broadly aligns with internal assessments. Disputes remain over classifications, with Israeli authorities insisting on separating civilians from fighters, yet such distinctions do little to alter the central reality of mass death unfolding amid the genocidal war.

Medical workers and local administrators warn that even these figures likely understate the true toll. Thousands remain buried beneath rubble in neighbourhoods reduced to ruins, while deaths caused indirectly by starvation, untreated chronic illness and the collapse of healthcare infrastructure continue largely uncounted. Entire families have vanished without formal registration, erasing names before they can be added to any list.

Despite the introduction of a fragile ceasefire in October 2025, violence has not fully abated. Dozens more Palestinians have been killed since then, underscoring how precarious the pause remains and how deeply the damage has already been done. With independent access to Gaza still severely restricted, comprehensive verification is impossible, leaving the accepted figure of more than 71,000 as a grim minimum rather than a final count of lives lost in the genocidal war.