Gaza war: UN defends casualty tally amid Israeli anger

May 17, 2024 4:22 pm

The UN humanitarian aid chief has defended the organisation’s use of casualty figures in the Gaza war in response to sharp criticism by Israel.

Martin Griffiths told the BBC the UN was “very cautious” in its approach.

Israel earlier said a recent reduction in UN estimates of killed Palestinian women and children suggested it had relied on false data from Hamas.

On 6 May, the UN said 69% of reported fatalities were women and children. On 8 May, it said this figure was 52%.

The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says incomplete information has led to the revision.

The UN also says it is now relying on figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, rather than from the Hamas-run Government Media Office (GMO).

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