Death toll from Israeli assault could exceed 186,000, Lancet warns

A letter published in the medical journal, the Lancet, estimates that the actual death toll of Palestinians killed in Gaza could exceed 186,000.

The official death toll of Palestinians killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October is 38,153, according to Gaza's health ministry.

However, the letter, published on Friday, emphasised that this figure is likely a dramatic underestimate and does not account for the thousands of people buried under the rubble or for the mounting “indirect” deaths as a result of Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s food distribution, healthcare and sanitation systems.

“The total death toll is expected to be large given the intensity of this conflict; destroyed health-care infrastructure; severe shortages of food, water, and shelter; the population’s inability to flee to safe places; and the loss of funding to UNRWA, one of the very few humanitarian organizations still active in the Gaza Strip," the letts said.

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