![Revised death tolls of Palestinian women and children show a significant change. The UN cited numbers that show numbers nearly 50% lower than previously reported.](https://san.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CLEAN-APGazaDeathToll_AP-Images_featuredImage_Mon-May-13-2024.jpg?w=1920)
Number of women, children killed in Gaza cut nearly in half in new UN report
By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Jake Maslo (Video Editor)
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
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UN denies Gaza death toll of women and children has been revised down
Click to see story on The GuardianWhy the UN changed its death tolls of Palestinian women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on CBC NewsUnited Nations cuts estimates of women, children deaths in Gaza war in half
Click to see story on USA TodayWhy the U.N. revised the numbers of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on nprLive, Israel-Hamas war: 56 to 60% of those killed in Gaza are women and children, according to a UN estimate
Click to see story on Le MondeOSN reduced the number of women and children killed in Gaza by half.
Click to see story on Novinky.czUN cuts Gaza civilian casualty figures by half, without explanation
Click to see story on Ynet NewsUN Halves Its Estimate of Women and Children Killed in Gaza
Click to see story on Council on Foreign RelationsWHO validates the number of more than 35,000 dead in Gaza, of which 60% are women and children – La Opinion
Click to see story on La OpinionWomen and children make up at least 56% of Gaza war dead, UN says
Click to see story on South China Morning PostWHO stands firm on Gaza death toll data despite Israeli criticism; Over 35,000 dead; 60% women and children
Click to see story on WIONU.N.: 360,000 flee Rafah; number of women, children killed in Gaza reduced by half
Click to see story on UPIU.N. blames ‘fog of war’ for overcounting deaths of women, children in Gaza
Click to see story on Las Vegas Review-JournalU.N. Cuts Estimates of Women, Children Deaths in Gaza
Click to see story on Political WireUN halves estimates of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on Jerusalem PostWhy the U.N. revised the numbers of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on OPBUN cuts estimate of women and children killed in Gaza by 50%
Click to see story on KPRC-TVNumber of women, children killed in Gaza cut nearly in half in new UN report
Click to see story on Straight Arrow NewsNo, the United Nations didn’t reduce the number of women and children killed in Gaza by half
Click to see story on VERIFYUN Slashes Number of Women and Children Killed in Gaza by 50%
Click to see story on VINnewsUnited Nations halves estimate of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on National PostUN says women and children at least 56 percent of Gaza war dead
Click to see story on Arab NewsUN says women and children at least 56pc of Gaza war dead
Click to see story on Malay MailOops: UN Seemingly Halves Estimate of Gazan Women, Children Killed
Click to see story on Hot AirUN figures on women, children killed in Gaza revised down 50%
Click to see story on Arutz ShevaFN records the death toll in Gaza.
Click to see story on ExpressenUN Data Suggests Large Revision In Gaza Women And Children Casualty Figures
Click to see story on i24NEWSGaza: The number of women and children killed is recorded.
Click to see story on Göteborgs-PostenUN Now Reporting Half as Many Deaths of Women and Children in Gaza
Click to see story on The Epoch TimesUN Revises/Reduces Gaza Death Numbers for Women, Children by Almost Half, Explanation Is Embarrassing
Click to see story on RedStateUN Appears to Admit Its Tally of Women and Children Killed in Gaza Was Vastly Inflated
Click to see story on The Western JournalIranian president: Murder of 15,000 Gaza children spells the end of Israeli regime
Click to see story on PressTVMedia Ignore Quietly-Revised UN Figures of Hamas-Reported Civilian Deaths
Click to see story on HonestReportingGaza civilian death statistics 50% incorrect, according to fresh UN data
Click to see story on All Israel NewsUN sharply revises stats on women, children deaths in Gaza
Click to see story on wng.orgUN admits Gaza death toll wrong, with almost 50% fewer women, children killed than previously reported
Click to see story on Fox NewsUN Cuts Estimate of Children Killed in Gaza by 50%; Blames ‘Fog of War’ for Errors
Click to see story on BreitbartU.N. Reduces Estimated Number of Women, Children Killed in Gaza by Half, Blames Error on ‘Fog of War’
Click to see story on The Gateway PunditNew UN Estimate Halves the Death Toll of Women and Children in Gaza
Click to see story on TwitchyUN dramatically REDUCES Gaza death toll, almost 50% less women and children killed than previously reported – Geller Report
Click to see story on Geller ReportUntracked Bias
With incomplete data, UN cuts in half count of women and children killed in Gaza war by half.
Click to see story on GloboUN monitoring mission estimates civilian casualties.
Click to see story on ZN.UA Зеркало неделиGaza: The number of women and children killed is recorded.
Click to see story on Svenska DagbladetGaza: The number of women and children killed is recorded.
Click to see story on svt NyheterThe UN changed the death toll for women and children in Gaza. Now the spokesman comes with an explanation
Click to see story on PolitikenUN downgrades number of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on AftenpostenIsraeli War with Hamas: How many children and women died in the Gaza Strip?
Click to see story on RzeczpospolitaUN estimates that 56% of the civilians killed in Gaza are women and children — World — CartaCapital
Click to see story on CartaCapitalThe United Nations has not reduced the number of fatalities in Gaza by 50%
Click to see story on NewtralNew report cuts Gaza fatalities for women, children in half
Click to see story on FISM TVU.N. Cuts Estimated Gaza Deaths by Half – American Faith
Click to see story on American Faith“Number of civilians killed in Gaza – half of what was claimed”
Click to see story on makoUN halves number of dead children and women
Click to see story on Human Rights ServiceUN suddenly halved estimate of women and children killed in Gaza conflict
Click to see story on Portfolio.huUN has halved the number of children and women killed in Gaza
Click to see story on makorrishon.co.ilUN Revises Gaza Death Toll, Almost 50% Less Women & Children
Click to see story on TexAgsThe United Nations (U.N.) has significantly reduced the numbers on the amount of Palestinian women and children killed in the war in Gaza. On Wednesday, May 8, the estimated death totals reported for women and children were cut nearly in half.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) published that the number of women killed in the conflict since Oct. 7 was 9,500, while claiming the number of children killed to be 14,500.
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Two days later, on May 8, a new report showed 4,959 women and 7,797 children had been killed since the start of the war in Gaza.
OCHA said it does not produce or verify the numbers independently on casualties. Instead, casualty figures are provided by the Ministry of Health or the Government Media Office in Gaza, which is run by Hamas. The agency also receives some numbers from Israeli authorities.
The U.N. maintains the numbers “await further verification” and said other “yet-to-be-reviewed figures are also sourced.”
U.N. Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq was asked how the numbers could change so drastically.
“The revisions are taken as we, of course, in the fog of war,” Haq said. “It is difficult to come up with numbers. We get numbers from different sources on the ground and then we try to cross check them. As we cross check them, we update the numbers, and we’ll continue to do that as that progresses.”
Haq was pressed on why the change was so “significant.”
“Numbers get adjusted over the course of the conflict, once the conflict is done, we’ll have the most accurate figures, but we’re just going with what we can absolutely confirm, which will always be what the low end of the numbers are,” he said in response.
An unnamed Israeli official who spoke to Fox News had their own explanation for the conflicting numbers.
“Israel has repeatedly said the numbers coming out of Gaza, and which are being echoed by U.N. agencies by Hamas, are not accurate, and do not reflect the reality on the ground,” the official said.
Israel claimed more than a third of Palestinians killed are combatants. However, the numbers from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry have been cited by world leaders and humanitarian organizations.
The U.N.’s explanation did not lay out why the Gaza Health Ministry’s numbers may have changed. However, David Adesnik from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies believes the U.N.’s updated numbers reveal a new methodology that does not rely as heavily on the Gaza Health Ministry. However, how and why the changes were made remain unclear.
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“This change may signal that the U.N. has finally recognized the lack of evidence behind Hamas’s original claims,” Adesnik said.
Adesnik called the change a step forward for the U.N., but still questioned whether the numbers can be trusted in the future.
[KARAH RUCKER]
THE UN HAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED ITS NUMBERS ON THE AMOUNT OF PALESTINIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED IN THE WAR IN GAZA.
LAST WEEK, THE DEATH TOTALS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE CUT NEARLY IN HALF.
THE UN OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS SAYS IT DOES NOT PRODUCE OR VERIFY DATA INDEPENDENTLY.
INSTEAD, CASUALTY FIGURES ARE PROVIDED BY THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH OR THE GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE IN GAZA, WHICH ARE RUN BY HAMAS. THE AGENCY ALSO RECEIVES SOME NUMBERS FROM ISRAELI AUTHORITIES.
THE UN MAINTAINS THE NUMBERS “AWAIT FURTHER VERIFICATION” AND SAYS OTHER “YET-TO-BE VERIFIED FIGURES ARE ALSO SOURCED.”
A UN DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON WAS ASKED HOW THE NUMBERS COULD CHANGE SO DRASTICALLY.
[FARHAN HAQ]
THE REVISIONS ARE TAKEN AS WE, OF COURSE, IN THE FOG OF WAR IT’S DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH NUMBERS. WE GET NUMBERS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES ON THE GROUND AND THEN WE TRY TO CROSS CHECK THEM. AS WE CROSS CHECK THEM WE UPDATE THE NUMBERS, AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS THAT PROGRESSES.
[KARAH RUCKER]
LAST WEEK — THE UN REPORTED 9500 WOMEN AND 14,500 CHILDREN WERE KILLED.
NOW — THE UPDATED NUMBERS SHOW LESS THAN 5000 WOMEN AND LESS THAN 8 THOUSAND CHILDREN.
PRESSED ON WHY THE CHANGE WAS SO “SIGNIFICANT,” HE RESPONDED with this: .
[FARHAN HAQ]
NUMBERS GET ADJUSTED OVER THE COURSE OF THE CONFLICT. ONCE THE CONFLICT IS DONE WE’LL HAVE THE MOST ACCURATE FIGURES. BUT WE’RE JUST GOING WITH WHAT WE CAN ABSOLUTELY CONFIRM, WHICH WILL ALWAYS BE WHAT THE LOW END OF THE NUMBERS ARE.
[KARAH RUCKER]
AN UNNAMED ISRAELI OFFICIAL WHO SPOKE TO FOX NEWS HAD THEIR OWN EXPLANATION FOR THE CONFLICTING NUMBERS.
“ISRAEL HAS REPEATEDLY SAID THE NUMBERS COMING OUT OF GAZA AND WHICH ARE BEING ECHOED BY U.N. AGENCIES BY HAMAS, ARE NOT ACCURATE, AND DO NOT REFLECT THE REALITY ON THE GROUND.”
ISRAEL CLAIMS MORE THAN A THIRD OF PALESTINIANS KILLED ARE COMBATANTS.
HOWEVER, NUMBERS FROM THE HAMAS-CONTROLLED HEALTH MINISTRY HAVE BEEN CITED BY WORLD LEADERS AND HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS.
THE UN’S EXPLANATION DID NOT LAY OUT WHY THE GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY’S NUMBERS MAY HAVE CHANGED. .
BUT DAVID ADESNIK FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE AND DEMOCRACIES BELIEVES THE UN’S UPDATED NUMBERS REVEAL A NEW METHODOLOGY, THAT DOES NOT RELY AS HEAVILY ON THE GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY. THOUGH HOW AND WHY THE CHANGES WERE MADE REMAIN UNCLEAR.
ADESNIK SAYS…
“THIS CHANGE MAY SIGNAL THAT THE UN HAS FINALLY RECOGNIZED THE LACK OF EVIDENCE BEHIND HAMAS’S ORIGINAL CLAIMS.
HE CALLED THE CHANGE A STEP FORWARD FOR THE UN–
BUT STILL QUESTIONED WHETHER THE NUMBERS CAN BE TRUSTED IN THE FUTURE.
FOR MORE STORIES ON THE WAR IN GAZA– AND OTHERS.
DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP–
AND VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT SAN-DOT-COM.
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
UN denies Gaza death toll of women and children has been revised down
Click to see story on The GuardianWhy the UN changed its death tolls of Palestinian women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on CBC NewsUnited Nations cuts estimates of women, children deaths in Gaza war in half
Click to see story on USA TodayWhy the U.N. revised the numbers of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on nprLive, Israel-Hamas war: 56 to 60% of those killed in Gaza are women and children, according to a UN estimate
Click to see story on Le MondeOSN reduced the number of women and children killed in Gaza by half.
Click to see story on Novinky.czUN cuts Gaza civilian casualty figures by half, without explanation
Click to see story on Ynet NewsUN Halves Its Estimate of Women and Children Killed in Gaza
Click to see story on Council on Foreign RelationsWHO validates the number of more than 35,000 dead in Gaza, of which 60% are women and children – La Opinion
Click to see story on La OpinionWomen and children make up at least 56% of Gaza war dead, UN says
Click to see story on South China Morning PostWHO stands firm on Gaza death toll data despite Israeli criticism; Over 35,000 dead; 60% women and children
Click to see story on WIONU.N.: 360,000 flee Rafah; number of women, children killed in Gaza reduced by half
Click to see story on UPIU.N. blames ‘fog of war’ for overcounting deaths of women, children in Gaza
Click to see story on Las Vegas Review-JournalU.N. Cuts Estimates of Women, Children Deaths in Gaza
Click to see story on Political WireUN halves estimates of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on Jerusalem PostWhy the U.N. revised the numbers of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on OPBUN cuts estimate of women and children killed in Gaza by 50%
Click to see story on KPRC-TVNumber of women, children killed in Gaza cut nearly in half in new UN report
Click to see story on Straight Arrow NewsNo, the United Nations didn’t reduce the number of women and children killed in Gaza by half
Click to see story on VERIFYUN Slashes Number of Women and Children Killed in Gaza by 50%
Click to see story on VINnewsUnited Nations halves estimate of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on National PostUN says women and children at least 56 percent of Gaza war dead
Click to see story on Arab NewsUN says women and children at least 56pc of Gaza war dead
Click to see story on Malay MailOops: UN Seemingly Halves Estimate of Gazan Women, Children Killed
Click to see story on Hot AirUN figures on women, children killed in Gaza revised down 50%
Click to see story on Arutz ShevaFN records the death toll in Gaza.
Click to see story on ExpressenUN Data Suggests Large Revision In Gaza Women And Children Casualty Figures
Click to see story on i24NEWSGaza: The number of women and children killed is recorded.
Click to see story on Göteborgs-PostenUN Now Reporting Half as Many Deaths of Women and Children in Gaza
Click to see story on The Epoch TimesUN Revises/Reduces Gaza Death Numbers for Women, Children by Almost Half, Explanation Is Embarrassing
Click to see story on RedStateUN Appears to Admit Its Tally of Women and Children Killed in Gaza Was Vastly Inflated
Click to see story on The Western JournalIranian president: Murder of 15,000 Gaza children spells the end of Israeli regime
Click to see story on PressTVMedia Ignore Quietly-Revised UN Figures of Hamas-Reported Civilian Deaths
Click to see story on HonestReportingGaza civilian death statistics 50% incorrect, according to fresh UN data
Click to see story on All Israel NewsUN sharply revises stats on women, children deaths in Gaza
Click to see story on wng.orgUN admits Gaza death toll wrong, with almost 50% fewer women, children killed than previously reported
Click to see story on Fox NewsUN Cuts Estimate of Children Killed in Gaza by 50%; Blames ‘Fog of War’ for Errors
Click to see story on BreitbartU.N. Reduces Estimated Number of Women, Children Killed in Gaza by Half, Blames Error on ‘Fog of War’
Click to see story on The Gateway PunditNew UN Estimate Halves the Death Toll of Women and Children in Gaza
Click to see story on TwitchyUN dramatically REDUCES Gaza death toll, almost 50% less women and children killed than previously reported – Geller Report
Click to see story on Geller ReportUntracked Bias
With incomplete data, UN cuts in half count of women and children killed in Gaza war by half.
Click to see story on GloboUN monitoring mission estimates civilian casualties.
Click to see story on ZN.UA Зеркало неделиGaza: The number of women and children killed is recorded.
Click to see story on Svenska DagbladetGaza: The number of women and children killed is recorded.
Click to see story on svt NyheterThe UN changed the death toll for women and children in Gaza. Now the spokesman comes with an explanation
Click to see story on PolitikenUN downgrades number of women and children killed in Gaza
Click to see story on AftenpostenIsraeli War with Hamas: How many children and women died in the Gaza Strip?
Click to see story on RzeczpospolitaUN estimates that 56% of the civilians killed in Gaza are women and children — World — CartaCapital
Click to see story on CartaCapitalThe United Nations has not reduced the number of fatalities in Gaza by 50%
Click to see story on NewtralNew report cuts Gaza fatalities for women, children in half
Click to see story on FISM TVU.N. Cuts Estimated Gaza Deaths by Half – American Faith
Click to see story on American Faith“Number of civilians killed in Gaza – half of what was claimed”
Click to see story on makoUN halves number of dead children and women
Click to see story on Human Rights ServiceUN suddenly halved estimate of women and children killed in Gaza conflict
Click to see story on Portfolio.huUN has halved the number of children and women killed in Gaza
Click to see story on makorrishon.co.ilUN Revises Gaza Death Toll, Almost 50% Less Women & Children
Click to see story on TexAgsUnbiased news.
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