Mass Displacement and Unprecedented Tragedy: Gaza’s War in Numbers

February 2, 2025

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/mass-displacement-and-unprecedented-tragedy-gazas-war-in-numbers/

The Government Media Office in Gaza reported on Sunday that Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of more than 61,000 Palestinians and the displacement of over two million people, many of whom have been forcibly displaced multiple times. 

Officials described the scale of destruction as an unprecedented tragedy in modern history.

Speaking at a press conference, the office confirmed that 61,709 Palestinians have been killed, including 47,487 whose bodies have reached hospitals. Another 14,222 remain trapped under rubble or on roads, inaccessible to rescue teams.

The number of wounded has climbed to 111,588, while more than 6,000 Palestinians have been detained, many of whom have been subjected to severe abuse and torture, with dozens reportedly dying in Israeli custody.

The Government Media Office stated that Israel has carried out 9,268 massacres, leading to the total extermination of 2,092 families from the civil registry. 

Additionally, 4,889 families were reduced to a single surviving member, highlighting what officials describe as a campaign of systematic ethnic cleansing.

Children and women have borne the brunt of the violence. At least 17,881 children have been killed, including 214 infants born and lost during the war. The number of women killed has reached 12,316, leaving 38,000 children orphaned—17,000 of whom lost both parents.

Humanitarian personnel have also been targeted, with 1,155 medical workers, 205 journalists, and 194 civil defense personnel killed. Additionally, 736 aid workers and over 3,500 government employees have lost their lives.

The war has crippled Gaza’s infrastructure, knocking 34 hospitals out of service and damaging more than 150,000 housing units. Initial estimates put direct economic losses across multiple sectors at over $50 billion, with damage in the transportation sector alone surpassing $1.5 billion.

The Government Media Office described the situation in Gaza as an ongoing genocide, calling on the international community to take immediate action to stop the assault.

Israel launched its war on Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa carried out by the Palestinian resistance. 

For months, Israeli forces have employed relentless bombardment, fire belts, and indiscriminate shelling, destroying homes, hospitals, schools, and shelters.

Following repeated rounds of stalled negotiations and amid mounting international pressure—including warnings from US President Donald Trump about securing a ceasefire before his inauguration—an agreement was finally reached and took effect on January 19.