IDF denies report claiming that its own database found that vast majority of Gaza dead were civilians

The IDF denies a report claiming that figures from a “classified military intelligence database” indicate five out of six Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip during the war were civilians, saying that the authors of the story lack “fundamental military understanding.”

The report, by the Israeli left-wing activist outlets +972 Magazine and Local Call, and the UK’s Guardian, claims the Military Intelligence Directorate has only identified the deaths of 8,900 terror operatives in Gaza by name, out of a list of 47,653 confirmed members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s military wings.

The report cites intelligence sources as saying that the total number of terror operatives killed is likely higher than the number in the database, because it does not include Hamas and PIJ operatives who were killed but not identified by name; Gazans who participated in the fighting and were not members of the two groups; or Hamas members who were not members of its military wing.

The IDF has, during the war, provided numbers on the number of terror operatives it assesses it has killed in Gaza, following fresh assessments and intelligence.

In January, the military said 20,000 terror operatives had been killed, and yesterday it updated that number to over 22,000. Hamas authorities say 62,000 people in the Strip have been killed during the war.

In May, IDF officials said that the combatant-to-civilian deaths ratio has remained relatively the same throughout the war, with two to three civilians killed for every dead Hamas terror operative.

Responding to the Guardian, the IDF says, “The figures presented in the article are incorrect and do not reflect the data available in the IDF’s systems.”

“Throughout the war, continuous intelligence assessments are conducted regarding the number of terrorists eliminated in the Gaza Strip, based on BDA (bomb damage assessment) methodologies and cross-checking efforts from various sources. One of the sources of information cross-referenced is documents originating from terrorist organizations in the Strip,” the response continues.

“The IDF is a professional military that operates according to operational methods accepted by many armies worldwide — the claims presented in the article are not only false but also reflect a fundamental lack of military understanding,” the IDF adds.

Full IDF Statement:

The figures presented in the article are incorrect and do not reflect the data available in the IDF’s systems.

Throughout the war, continuous intelligence assessments are conducted regarding the number of terrorists eliminated in the Gaza Strip, based on BDA… pic.twitter.com/xTLCHu9PQ2

— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) August 21, 2025