IDF confirms some 70,000 Gazans died in war, none from starvation.

[Twiglets1]

Article in The Jerusalem Post:

The IDF, for the first time on Wednesday, confirmed that approximately 70,000 Gazans were killed during the Israel-Hamas War, while disputing the percentage of civilian deaths claimed by the UN and declaring that no healthy persons died from starvation.

While various international groups have claimed that the overwhelming majority of those who died were civilians, the IDF continues to contest that number and has said that around 25,000 were Hamas terrorists. Further, the IDF has presented evidence that, through early 2024 – the period when Hamas was firing large daily rocket salvos – around 13% of their rockets were misfires, leading to the killing of many Palestinians.

There have also been other periods of time where Hamas executed large numbers of Palestinians whom it viewed as political opponents or civilians whom it was trying to prevent from fleeing an area that the IDF said needed to be evacuated. While the IDF said on Thursday that it is working on a fuller evaluation of the breakdown of civilians to combatants and estimates of those killed by Hamas, no Israeli official has provided a set estimate on that to date.

No date was given for when this breakdown will be publicized, suggesting that it will not be in the near future.

Estimates by international organizations and some media have said that as many as around 450 Palestinians have died of starvation, but the IDF on Thursday said these numbers are a mix of fake statistics or include persons who suffered from dangerous health conditions prior to the war.

IDF sources noted cases where they spoke to humanitarian aid officials who claimed that two specific children had died, but the military was able to quickly establish that they were actually still alive.

There were also multiple other cases in which the global media graphically documented children whose bodies appeared contorted and who eventually died, with the military later clarifying that they had serious pre-war health conditions that had already caused their distorted-looking appearance.

The IDF has not given a more detailed, comprehensive counter-claim regarding the list of persons the UN claims starved to death, but is expected to give significant information confidentially to the International Court of Justice on March 12.

More broadly, the IDF has said that UN aid officials in the field have admitted that their headquarters political bosses invented or exaggerated the food insecurity in Gaza in order to pressure Israel into ending the war earlier. IDF officials have also admitted that there was a food insecurity crisis in July-August 2025, but said they acted rapidly enough at the time in increasing the volume of food aid trucks to avoid a starvation crisis.

According to the IDF, throughout the war, 112,000 aid trucks were brought into Gaza, including 1,700,000 tons of food, as well as 1,800,000 tents and tarpaulin covers. During this time, 600,000 children received polio vaccinations.

Currently, 16 field hospitals are operating, and over the course of the war, 9,600 tons of medical items have been brought into Gaza.

During the same period, 5,000 international aid workers entered the Strip, while 42,000 Gazans exited to a third country to receive health treatment or travel using their dual citizenship status.

www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-884905

I agree every case is different, and a flag being used by some unsavory people doesn’t mean that’s what it ‘means’.

I do agree it’s about national identity. I think that’s what the Confederacy or the KKK would say too (as well as many benign cases).

We have to look at what that national identity really means. What’s the history and ideology and the current state.

I’m afraid the things I dislike about the KKK are deeply entwined in Palestinian nationhood. It arose as a movement in the early 20th century largely as a response to Jewish migration (or re-migration if you like), and to Zionism.

How much one sees that instinct as legitimate is obviously contentious. The actual form it took, though, is monstrous:

The main proponent of Palestine nationhood, Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti, was a committed Nazi supporter. He met Hitler, lived in Berlin 1941-1945 as a guest of the regime, made Nazi propaganda, recruted Muslims to the SS, advocated extending the Holocaust to the Middle East, and approved of the ‘final solution’ in Europe.

His movement was not just anti-Zionist. He wanted the Middle East to be judenrein (Jew free) through mass industrial extermination.

That’s not superior to the Confederacy or the KKK.

There has been no big break in the ideology either (at least not in the Hamas/Gaza branch). It has ‘softened’ to a position that is still very hardline. Still elimiantionist (of Israel, though in reality I think this would mean ‘of Jews’), still anti-Semitic,
with a population, per Palestinian polling, strongly supportive of all manner of Islamist terror groups (not just Hamas, which one might otherwise argue is ‘just’ support for their own govt). Support for a two-state solution is low and falling, and 70++% of Gazans supported the Oct 7 attacks, with many who opposed doing so for tactical reason. It’s not something that can be said to be old and irrelevant history.

The PA is not ideologically very much better. Govt payments for killing Jews, and committed to a Jew-free Palestine, and effectively a Jew-free Middle East.

The Palestinian flag is the flag of this movement.

But Israeli nationalists have also favoured the expulsion of Palestinians.

KKK symbols were made to terrorise people. But neither the Palestinian flag nor the Israeli flag stand for a one fixed message like this.

I don’t think we should start saying that these flags become a hate symbol because some of the people waving those flags say awful thing.

I wouldn’t expect a softening of positions either. I’m not up to date with with polling positions but the path to peace isn’t lined with dead bodies. Whether we look at the victims of Hamas in Israel or the Palestinian civilians who died in return. Neither population will be warmer to a two state solution at this moment in time.

How do you spot a vegan? They tell you.

Many people who are pro Palestinian quite obviously are anti Israel because of their over the top condemnation of literally everything connected to Israel from their representation at Eurovision to reasonably asking NGOs working in Gaza to provide details of staff to check they don’t have known affiliations with Hamas. Plus all they ever do is criticise Israel and don’t have anything to say any other issues in the Middle East, for example Iran killing thousands of their own people.

Others are more balanced and have taken a side but nevertheless can see issues from the Israel point of view too. I would put myself in that camp too. I took a side on 7/10/23 (having previously been neutral) & supported Israel in the war against Gaza. I support them now too as we enter phase 2 of the ceasefire.

However on certain issues I take the Palestinian side so no, I’m not “anti Palestinian”. I didn’t agree with the Israel government decision to block humanitarian aid at one point in the war though thankfully this was reversed after a couple of months. I haven’t agreed with pretty much anything the extremist members of the coalition government have said & think that Netanyahu should have been more forceful against them. I don’t agree with the Israeli Settlers or with the Israeli government & IDF enabling their behaviour.

I’m pro Palestinian civilian, I remember being bewildered when the “pro pals” started screaming and rending of clothes when a ceasefire was called. They had been asking for one for 2 years and when they got one they objected. So even good news “civilian deaths are lower than I thought” is met with upset. Theres no point in engaging with those people, they are either stupid or malign.

The recent marches in the UK supporting the Iranian regime (the one that allows 9yr old girls to get married as long as her dad says its ok and kills women for not wearing a hijab) convinced me these people don’t actually give a shit about civilian deaths. A lot of them just have jews on the brain to be frank. I have no skin in this but dear god the hypocrisy and bullshit really stink.

He was carring a placard saying 'Globalise the intifada' yesterday. His claim that he was calling for non-violent resistance is completely disingenuous (or he's exceptionally stupid) and you're right, context matters. He was carrying that sign in the context of such a large rise in antisemitism globally that Jews have been killed in the US, Australia, France and the UK explicitly because they are Jews and because they are being blamed for the Israeli government. That's globalising the intifada. And when people outside the ME were flying that flag within hours of the news getting through of the 7th October attacks Jewish people knew EXACTLY what it meant.

Tatchell was also carrying the sign in the context of a march in which very large numbers of people were marching in favour of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I agree. Context matters.

Which country sprang to mind first then?

The point is that is an extreme position in Israel and Israel was founded on the principle that it would 'ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex;' Palestinians became citizens. Whereas destroying Israel and cleansing the area of Jews is mainstream in Palestinian society.

Exactly. You can tell the ones who aren't simply pro Palestinian because they are the ones who were not happy when a ceasefire was called. This was confusing at first to people like me who are mainly supportive of Israel but have no quarrel whatsoever with ordinary Palestinians in Gaza. A ceasefire is surely something to be celebrated (even if it isn't perfect peace and there have still been violations on both sides), whichever "side" you feel more sympathy towards.

Yet this new law they are trying to pass does not convey that sentiment at all.

Beyond that our objection is that the law is racially designed, meant to apply only to Palestinians, never to Jews, only to people who kill Israeli citizens, never for example to Israeli citizens who kill Palestinians. The motivation is clear.

Yes which is why many is Israel are opposing it and there is a healthy democratic debate. Hamas jjst kills Israelis, no debate. And it applies only to terrorists. Its not a law against all Palestinians.

They tend to just shoot Palestinians on the spot though, so …..

Ok if you don't want a sensible conversation, that's fine. I mean I could counter with Palestinians just tend to stab, stone, rape, torture, shoot, and take Israelis hostage on the spot 🤷‍♀️

Were you going to tell me who the second person executed by the Israeli state was @FairPearlSnake

The first actually, Meir Tobianski.

Ah yes, in the very early days. And he was subsequently exonerated. I think Israel's experience if that unjust execution probably shaped their approach afterwards. Eichman being an exception as his guilt was so solid.

What ceasefire is that?

You know over 30 were killed in airstrikes yesterday?

And I find the hypocrisy around the situation in Iran astounding.

(Firstly I completely support the protesters and think what is happening is absolutely horrifying and intervention by international bodies is needed .)

However for two years anyone who is against the Israeli attack on Palestine has been told:

The figures are fake, how can they be proven.
The figures are inflated .
Doctors didn't see the injuries occur so how do they know how they happened.
Filming the bodies /injuries is unethical and why would Palestinians want these images to be shown.
The images are "Pallywood" propaganda.
Oh and why would anyone in Western Europe march for a situation in another country they are all "useful idiots" and "virtue signallers"and don't understand what is going on.
Civilian deaths are inevitable. It's just what happens in war.

Yet all of these points are conveniently forgotten when it's not Israel doing the killing.

So forgive me if I think the bullshit and hypocrisy runs very deep also.

@Martymcfly24 so what exactly are you saying about how people should respond to the current situation in Iran that would not be 'hypocritical' Its not at all clear.

I'm saying the way people are currently responding is absolutely fine giving the scale of death however listening to the posters who spent two years denying everything in Gaza and now calling everyone else out for not matching their response is pretty bloody hypocritical.

The more threads the better to highlight the situation but when a huge number of posts is like the one I responded to the hypocrisy is just shining.

@Martymcfly24 it’s so predictable that you would say what ceasefire is that. It’s the ceasefire that is holding despite violations from both sides. You minimising what ceasefire is that has not stopped it progressing from stage 1 to stage 2 and hopefully it will continue towards full peace one day.

You mention the 30 plus Palestinians killed yesterday with a complete lack of acknowledgement that Hamas also broke the ceasefire by 8 of their militants coming towards the IDF in a threatening manner and that some of the 30 plus Palestinians killed were in fact Hamas militants. At least one of them was very high up in the Hamas organisation. Him being killed was a good thing and the other Hamas fighters. Obviously the fact that women & children also got killed is a terrible thing but let’s not pretend all 30 plus Palestinians killed were innocent civilians.

Noone has ever denied 'everything' in Gaza - or very few anyway. People have absolutely correctly been sceptical of evidence coming from Hamas, a terrorist organisation with a highly sophisticated propaganda machine. Just as people are rightly sceptical of anything coming from their main supporters, the Iranian regime. A lot of stuff coming out of gaza has been highly dodgy, some outright wrong, some accurate and correct. You can only sift the reliable from the unreliable by being sceptical and questioning.

Ah and it's so typical you would justify civilian deaths because of something Hamas would do .

Because they are just collateral aren't they. Only certain deaths matter

So because "eight terrorists were identified exiting the underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah" (where is the threatening manner you posted about??) this happened .

You fail to understand why people believe the Iranian protestors or Iranian doctors etc when they haven’t necessarily believed the news coming out of Gaza? It’s because the Iranian protestors are completely innocent civilians as far as anyone knows. Whereas the news coming out of Gaza was controlled by Hamas who are a terrorist organisation very good at propaganda caught out in many lies. Many doctors & journalists in Gaza are also Hamas members or sympathisers so excuse me if I don’t automatically believe what they are saying is truthful.

Who said the civilians killed are collateral? You did.