Hamas has revised its casualty figures from the Gaza war, removing hundreds of names from its official list of war fatalities, and revealing that 72% of those killed were men aged 13 to 55 – a demographic largely composed of combatants. The updated figures contradict Hamas’ earlier claims that most casualties were women and children.
Salo Aizenberg, from the U.S.-based nonprofit HonestReporting, uncovered the changes through a detailed analysis of Hamas’ casualty lists. The investigation revealed that 3,400 names, including over 1,080 children, were removed from the group’s March 2025 report after being listed in 2024.
Aizenberg pointed out that the original reports, published by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health, were widely cited by major international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC). “These ‘deaths’ never happened. The numbers were falsified – again,” he wrote.
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Ambulances carrying victims of Israeli strikes crowd the entrance to the emergency ward of the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Oct. 15, 2023. (Dawood Nemer/AFP via Getty Images)
The United Nations did not respond to a Fox News Digital request asking if the world body regretted disseminating those numbers in light of the revised figures.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating Israel for war crimes, told Fox News Digital, “We cannot provide comments on matters related to ongoing investigations. This approach is essential to protect the integrity of investigations, and to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses, and all those with whom the Office interacts.”
David Adesnik, vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who has also been tracking the figures, reached a similar conclusion. According to his analysis, 72% of the fatalities fall within the male combat-age bracket of 13 to 55.
“Even at age 13, there’s a major excess of male over female deaths, and the disparity grows with age,” Adesnik told Fox News Digital. “If you calculate from age 13 to 59, there’s a little more than 15,000 excess men. That gives you an idea of how many are actually fighters.”
This image made from undated bodycam video footage taken by a downed Hamas terrorist and released by Israel Defense Forces shows a Hamas terrorist walking around a residential neighborhood at an undisclosed location in southern Israel. (Israel Defense Forces via AP)
His analysis showed a striking gender imbalance: at age 13, there are 588 male casualties compared to 385 females; by age 19, the gap widens to 800 males versus 285 females. This trend continues throughout the age spectrum, suggesting a disproportionately high number of male combatant deaths.
Adesnik also highlighted issues with how deaths were recorded. “Significant numbers of names disappear from the list over time. It’s like 2,000 names are removed and new ones added,” he said.
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He explained that Hamas maintains two lists: one for deaths confirmed by hospitals, and another for deaths reported by family members via an online form – often in cases where bodies couldn’t be retrieved. “Over time, officials realized many of these family-reported names were inaccurate or unverified, and started quietly removing them from the count – replacing one set of data with another to cover up their original manipulation,” Adesnik said.
The head of the statistics team at Gaza’s health ministry, Zaher Al Wahidi, told Sky News that names submitted via the form had been removed as a precautionary measure pending a judicial investigation into each one. “We realized that a lot of people [submitted via the form] died a natural death,” Wahidi said. Some families submitting false claims, Wahidi said, may have been motivated by the promise of government financial assistance.
Adesnik referenced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s previous comments about Gaza war casualties. “He said 30,000 dead – 14,000 fighters, 16,000 civilians – while Hamas claimed 70% were women and children. This data gives us a clearer picture of the demographic breakdown and supports the IDF’s claim that it is targeting combatants,” he said.
IDF forces are seen operating in Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip. (IDF Spokesman’s Office)
The broader debate over casualty accuracy intensified after an Israeli strike on March 23 killed 15 humanitarian workers, including a paramedic, according to the United Nations and the Palestinian Red Crescent. The incident sparked outrage. However, the Israeli military stated that “the aid workers were mistakenly identified as terrorists”.
According to preliminary findings, the incident occurred during a covert IDF operation. Roughly two hours earlier, Israeli forces had engaged in a firefight with terrorists in the same area. Later, feeling threatened, an IDF official told Fox News Digital, the troops opened fire on suspicious vehicles. The incident is still under investigation by the IDF.
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In a related development, the IDF announced this week that Mohammed Saleh Mohammed Al-Bardawil, a senior Hamas terror leader, was killed in a targeted operation. Although referred to as a journalist in Gaza, the IDF said Bardawil was involved in producing propaganda videos, including footage of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
“The IDF and ISA will continue to target and dismantle Hamas’ infrastructure to mitigate the threat it poses to Israeli civilians,” the military said. In a separate statement, it emphasized: “The IDF makes great efforts to estimate and consider potential civilian collateral damage. The IDF has never, and will never, deliberately target children.”
