Israel military said to accept Gaza death toll of around 70,000

US military and civilian leaders of Gaza mission step aside as Europe rethinks role

Israel’s military has accepted that around 70,000 Palestinians were killed during the fighting in Gaza, Israeli media reported on Friday, citing senior military officials, marking a shift from its earlier scepticism over death tolls issued by Gaza’s health authorities.

The United Nations has long treated casualty figures recorded by Gaza’s health ministry as credible. 

The Gaza health ministry publishes the names and ages of those it records as killed and now says the death toll has exceeded 71,000, including more than 480 people killed in Israeli attacks since the start of a United States-brokered ceasefire in October. It says thousands more are believed to be buried under rubble in Gaza’s devastated cities.

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The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters but says most of those killed were women or children.

Israeli news outlet Ynet and other leading media reported, citing a briefing on Thursday with senior military officials, that the military had adopted a similar estimate.

“In our estimation, around 70,000 Gazans were killed during the war, not including missing persons,” Ynet quoted one official as saying. “We are currently working to distinguish between terrorists and those who were not involved.”

Asked to comment, the Israeli military said the reports did not reflect official Israel Defence Forces data.

“Any publication or report on this matter will be released through official and orderly channels,” it said.

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The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that triggered the fighting killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. More than 470 Israeli soldiers have been killed during the fighting.

US shifts Gaza mission leadership amid uncertainty

Meanwhile, diplomats said that the US military and civilian leaders of Washington’s flagship mission for Gaza are stepping aside with their replacements yet to be announced as European countries reassess their participation amid uncertainty over the initiative’s future role.

A view of Israeli settlements in West Bank. PHOTO: REUTERS

The top military officer at the Civil-Military Command Centre (CMCC), a three-star lieutenant general, is expected to be replaced by a lower-ranking US commander, while the mission’s civilian head has returned to his post as US ambassador to Yemen.

The CMCC was established in October as part of the first phase of President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza conflict. It was tasked with supervising the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, facilitating humanitarian aid and helping shape post-conflict Gaza policy.

The leadership changes come as Western officials and diplomats say doubts are growing over the CMCC’s role, with Trump pursuing the next phase of his plan, including the creation of a “Board of Peace” made up of foreign dignitaries to oversee Gaza policy.

Lieutenant General Patrick Frank, the commander of US Army forces in the Middle East, has led the CMCC in southern Israel since its creation. The US military announced last month that he would be promoted to deputy head of US Central Command.

Four diplomats told Reuters Frank is expected to leave the post as soon as next week. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US State Department said in a statement that the CMCC’s civilian lead, career diplomat Steve Fagin, had returned to his role as US ambassador to Yemen after serving in a “transitional role” at the centre. It did not say who would replace him.

The four diplomats said no successor for Fagin has yet been named.

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Diplomats said the CMCC has struggled to increase aid flows or deliver political progress, prompting some US partners to reconsider their involvement.

Under the first phase of the ceasefire plan, major fighting has halted, hostages were released in exchange for prisoners and Israeli forces withdrew from nearly half of the Gaza Strip. Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violations, and more than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been killed since the truce began.

Most of Gaza’s more than two million residents are now confined to a small area outside an Israeli-occupied zone, living largely in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

Trump announced the second phase of his plan this month, under which Israel would withdraw further and Hamas would hand over day-to-day control to an internationally backed administration.