Israeli media report that a senior security source has said the military accepts that more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war in Gaza.
Israel has previously cast doubt on casualty figures released by the Hamas-run health ministry. However, those figures have been deemed reliable by the United Nations and several human rights organisations, and have been widely cited by international media.
The war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 71,660 people have been killed since the conflict began.
The ministry says at least 492 Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire started on 10 October 2025. Four Israeli soldiers have also been killed during that period.
Israel has consistently disputed the Hamas figures. Prior to last year’s ceasefire, Israeli authorities said they had killed about 1,600 fighters since 7 October 2023, and an additional 22,000 combatants during the course of the war.
Now, a senior security source has reportedly told Israeli journalists — including outlets such as Haaretz and The Times of Israel — that the overall death toll published by the Hamas health ministry is largely accurate. The source said, however, that Israel has not been able to determine how many of those killed were combatants and how many died directly as a result of the fighting.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had previously stated that it believed two or three civilians were killed for every militant killed.
In response to the reports, the IDF said the comments attributed to the senior source did not represent its official position.
Most of Gaza has been reduced to rubble as a result of the war.
