An international academy estimates that the number of martyrs in Gaza may exceed 200,000

The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law (an independent academic institution based in Geneva) estimates that the death toll in the Gaza Strip could exceed 200,000, based on projections indicating a more than 10% decrease in the Strip’s population since October 2023, due to ongoing military operations and the resulting widespread destruction and heavy casualties.

Stuart Casey Maslin, head of the Academy’s International Humanitarian Law Focus Project, stated that the figures released so far do not reflect the full extent of the human losses, noting the possibility that a large number of victims remain buried under the rubble, unrecovered and undocumented.

Maslin explained that the significant decline in the Strip’s population is a serious indicator of the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe, emphasizing that the current estimates require independent verification and investigation. However, if accurate, they would mean that the death toll far exceeds the reported figures.

In a related context, he pointed out that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will require many years of continuous work, in addition to investments estimated at billions of dollars, given the widespread destruction of infrastructure, homes, and vital facilities.

Military operations continue in the Strip despite the ceasefire agreement, amid growing warnings of a worsening humanitarian situation, with severe shortages of food, water, shelter, and medical care, and with the population continuing to struggle to obtain basic necessities.