Study Claims Hamas Fatality Figures for Gaza War are ‘Clear Disinformation’

A new study has cast doubt on the fatality figures for the Gaza war provided by Hamas, labeling them as “clear disinformation.” The research, conducted by professors Lewi Stone and Gregory Rose, analyzes data released by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health and suggests a significant discrepancy in the reported proportion of women and children casualties.

The study, detailed in reports today, examined a list of 50,021 fatalities published by the Gaza Ministry of Health in March 2025. While this list does not differentiate between combatants and civilians or identify those killed by Hamas’s own actions, the Hamas Government Media Office (GMO) has claimed that approximately 70 percent of the fatalities were women and children.

However, Stone and Rose’s analysis of the raw data from the Gaza Ministry of Health indicates that the actual percentage of women and children fatalities is closer to 51%. The researchers argue that this lower rate, when considered alongside the high percentage of women and children in the general Gaza population, suggests that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has implemented systematic measures to avoid civilian casualties.

The study highlights inconsistencies between the data released by the Gaza Ministry of Health and the narrative promoted by the Hamas Government Media Office. The researchers point out that the two Hamas entities have often presented conflicting figures, allowing Hamas to convey different versions of the war as needed. The GMO’s figures, according to the study, appear to have been curated to create a deceptive impression of indiscriminate Israeli attacks on women and children.

This is not the first time the accuracy of Hamas’s fatality figures has been questioned. Earlier analyses have also suggested discrepancies and potential inflation of civilian casualty numbers. Some reports have indicated that natural deaths were possibly included in war fatality statistics, and concerns have been raised about the methodology used to collect and report the data.

The Henry Jackson Society, a London-based security think tank, has also published reports raising similar concerns about the reliability of Hamas’s casualty statistics, suggesting that they have been vastly inflated and methodologically flawed. These analyses argue that the scale of civilian deaths in Gaza is a key element in a propaganda effort against Israel, aimed at isolating it internationally through false allegations of genocide.

The findings of this new study are likely to fuel further debate and scrutiny regarding the true cost of the Gaza war in terms of civilian lives. While the precise number of casualties remains a deeply sensitive and contested issue, this research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the figures presented by Hamas may not accurately reflect the reality on the ground. The study underscores the challenges in obtaining reliable data from conflict zones and the importance of critically examining information provided by parties involved in the conflict.