UN: Greater than half of these killed within the Gaza conflict are girls and kids

The calculation comes as Israel casts doubt on the UN’s dying toll figures, that are primarily based on info from the Hamas-run Ministry of Well being within the Gaza Strip.

Overseas Minister Israel Katz accuses the UN group WHO of solely reproducing “propaganda messages” from Hamas.

In keeping with the Ministry of Well being, over 35,000 individuals have been killed within the Gaza Strip for the reason that Hamas assault on 7 October final yr, which was adopted by in depth Israeli assaults.

New overview

The authorities within the Gaza Strip have all the time claimed that ladies and kids make up the overwhelming majority of these killed in Palestinian areas.

A brand new overview by the well being authorities, which the UN has additionally printed, appeared to solid doubt on that declare. It says that round 25,000 killed have been recognized as much as 30 April, whereas full identification is missing for the remaining round 10,000 useless.

Of those that have been recognized, 40 per cent are mentioned to be males, whereas 20 per cent are girls and 32 per cent youngsters. The final 8 % are within the “aged” class, which isn’t damaged down by gender.

Makes use of ratios

WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier states that the overview is essentially the most complete thus far. He tells journalists that by making use of the identical ratio to the unidentified and assuming that half of the aged killed are girls, it may be calculated that there are 56 per cent girls and kids among the many over 35,000 killed.

Then he has not included within the calculation that there are most likely extra girls and kids among the many a number of thousand who’re believed to be buried in ruins “as a result of they’re those who sometimes keep at dwelling”.

OCHA: Do not combat

Lindmeier believes {that a} statistical calculation signifies that 60 per cent of these killed are girls and kids.

Jens Lærke, spokesperson for the UN Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), says that the brand new overview doesn’t battle with earlier calculations that ladies and kids make up two thirds of these killed.