In talk to GOP, PM estimates 28,000 have been killed in Gaza — 4,000 fewer than Hamas claims

Speaking virtually to a gathering of Senate Republicans earlier today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is mindful of the civilian death toll in Gaza, Sen. Josh Hawley tells The New York Times.

“He was very mindful of it, he talked about it at some length,” says Hawley, adding that Netanyahu insisted that Israel was making every effort to minimize civilian casualties.

Hawley recalls that Netanyahu estimated the total death toll in Gaza to be at roughly 28,000. The New York Times report does not indicate whether Netanyahu broke down that number into Hamas and other gunmen, civilians killed by the IDF and civilians killed by Hamas and other terror groups. The latest death toll from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza is just under 32,000. The Hamas toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, and is believed to include victims of terror groups’ own sniper fire and rocket misfires. Israel says the IDF has killed at least 13,000 gunmen in battle in Gaza from Hamas and other terror groups, as well as 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on or soon after October 7.

The Republican senator adds that Netanyahu told the lawmakers that he wasn’t asking for US ground troops to fight Israel’s war. However, the premier did request financial assistance from Washington, urging the senators to support any bill that includes security assistance for Jerusalem. Such legislation has been held up for months by House Republicans over disagreements with Democrats regarding immigration and Ukraine.