The ongoing conflict in Gaza has reached its third year, marking the longest military engagement for Israel since the 1948 war that resulted in the nation’s establishment.
A significant portion of the casualties resulting from Israel’s operations in the region have been civilians, with the death toll surpassing 67,000. Many families have been completely lost in single strikes, often leaving only one survivor, usually a child. Nearly 170,000 people have been injured, bringing the total number of casualties close to 10% of Gaza’s pre-war population of 2.3 million.
An unknown number of additional fatalities remain buried beneath the rubble that now blankets much of the territory. Deaths resulting from untreated illnesses, malnutrition, suicides, and other war-related causes continue to rise. Thousands more are unaccounted for—either missing, severely injured, or detained without acknowledgment by Israeli forces.
Throughout the conflict, Israel has regulated supplies entering Gaza but imposed a full blockade for several months in early 2025, citing concerns that resources were being diverted. Although restrictions were later relaxed following global criticism, famine was officially declared in parts of the territory by mid-year.
The scale of destruction has sparked allegations of genocide, which Israel rejects. In a statement last year, independent experts affiliated with the UN human rights office argued that the devastation met the definition of genocide, a claim contested by Israeli authorities.
The conflict began after an incursion by Hamas into Israel in late 2023, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages. The ensuing war has inflicted immense damage on Gaza, displacing nearly all its inhabitants multiple times and reducing entire urban areas to ruins. Survivors, medical personnel, and witnesses describe scenes resembling "a nightmare" or "utter devastation."
A summary of the war’s toll on Gaza and its residents follows.
Casualties
67,074
Palestinian fatalities in Gaza
168,716
Palestinians injured in Gaza
Over 67,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli strikes, with civilians forming the majority. Approximately 20,000 of the dead—about 2% of Gaza’s children—were minors.
More than 168,000 have been wounded, with many injuries resembling those seen among soldiers in high-intensity warfare, according to medical research.
Additional deaths have occurred due to starvation, exposure, untreated illnesses, accidents, and the breakdown of medical services. A study in the Lancet estimated Gaza’s life expectancy may have dropped by half during the first year of the conflict.
Israeli officials have previously disputed the casualty figures provided by local authorities.
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