The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that the Gaza
war’s death toll has exceeded 62,000 as of August 18, 2025, with 156,230
wounded and nearly 2,000 killed near aid sites. The figures, considered most
reliable by the UN and independent experts, remain disputed by Israel, which
has yet to provide an alternative tally.
Death Toll Rises Sharply
As reported by various journalists across leading media
titles, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Monday, August 18, 2025,
that the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 62,000 in the 22-month conflict with
Israel that began on October 7, 2023. At least 60 people were killed in the
past 24 hours alone, bringing the total to 62,004. The Ministry also stated
that the cumulative number of wounded has climbed to 156,230.
Scale and Nature of the Casualties
As reported by the staff of The Independent, the Ministry’s
figures encompass both civilians and combatants, as the count does not
differentiate between the two. The United Nations and independent analysts view
the statistics compiled by Gaza’s medical professionals as the most reliable
gauge of the war’s human cost, given their systematic record-keeping and direct
access to victims. Patrick Ball, director of the Human Rights Data Analysis
Group, told Nature that independent assessments have closely aligned with the
Ministry’s numbers, reinforcing their credibility.
Israel, however, contests these casualty figures but has yet
to provide its own comprehensive account. This official silence has amplified
the reliance on Ministry reports among global institutions and analysts.
Aid-Related Fatalities Continue
According to Arab News’ Cairo office, the Health Ministry
highlighted that 1,965 people have died while seeking assistance from
humanitarian convoys or in proximity to aid distribution points, with seven
fatalities occurring on Monday morning alone as Palestinians attempted to
access aid. CBS News detailed earlier this year that food, medicine, and
essential supplies have been largely sealed off and that thousands of children
are malnourished.
Starvation and Hospitals: The Mechanisms of Death
Al Jazeera’s liveblog team wrote that Israeli forces killed
at least 37 aid seekers across Gaza on Sunday, with additional deaths caused by
starvation—seven confirmed on August 17, 2025. Reports suggest that hospitals
are overwhelmed, and humanitarian organisations have recorded widespread
destruction and severe shortages of food and medicine.
Additionally, Al Jazeera previously reported that thousands
of missing civilians presumed dead—up to 14,000—were recently added to the
official list of casualties, bringing the toll closer to 62,000 as of February
2025.
The Context of the 22-Month War
According to Bloomberg and The Economic Times, the war began
on October 7, 2023, after Hamas militants launched a cross-border attack into
Israel. Israel responded with airstrikes, a ground offensive starting October
27, 2023, and the deadly siege of North Gaza from October 2024. Both sides have
faced global criticism for the humanitarian impact of their actions.
Wikipedia’s chroniclers of the conflict affirm that nearly
half of the Palestinian casualties are women and children, underscoring the
civilian impact of both direct and indirect causes, such as trauma, starvation,
and lack of medical access. The Lancet estimated as many as 64,260 deaths from
traumatic injuries by June 2024 alone, with indirect deaths likely making the
true toll higher.
International and Regional Responses
The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, condemned
Israel’s plans for forced resettlement and said Egypt, with Qatar, is seeking a
resumption of ceasefire negotiations based on a US proposal for a 60-day truce.
Abdelatty assured that mediators are “making significant efforts” to revive
talks to end the fighting and restore humanitarian access, meeting with
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa at the crossing between Egypt and
Gaza.
Reliability and Disputes Over Figures
As highlighted by Reuters’ March 2025 explainer, the
Palestinian Health Ministry’s casualty count has typically tallied closely with
estimates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and
Human Rights Data Analysis Group, despite the challenge of incomplete data in a
conflict zone. Israel disputes the figures, asserting its strikes are aimed at
militants and blaming Hamas for operating among civilian populations. However,
it continues to rely on the Health Ministry’s data for international accounting
by default.
Impact on Journalists, Medical and Humanitarian Workers
Numerous medical personnel, aid workers, and journalists
have also been killed in the course of the war. Al Jazeera reported the deaths
of at least 1,155 medical staff, 205 journalists, and 194 civil defence
workers.
Humanitarian Situation: Displacement and Shortages
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs, Palestinians are struggling to survive amid mass
displacement, widespread destruction, and a critical shortage of fuel,
medicine, and food, deepening the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
The Toll Continues
As observed by the Associated Press, hospitals and aid
agencies warn that the number of unreported deaths remains high, with many
bodies possibly buried under rubble or in inaccessible areas. The Ministry
itself warns that “the true number of fatalities may be significantly higher”—a
concern echoed by Patrick Ball and other independent analysts. Until a full
accounting is possible, the reports reflect a conflict that has claimed tens of
thousands of lives and which, as of August 2025, shows little sign of
resolution.