The Hidden Reality of Israel’s Depravity in Gaza

Statistics have a valid but limited value in helping to understand the true scale of destruction activated by Israel over the lives of Palestinian civilians, writes CJ Werleman

As a journalist who has covered many of the world’s worst human rights abuses in the 21st Century, I carry the warning of a university professor who once told me to “be careful with statistics – they reveal as much as they conceal, particularly when applied to conflict and violence”.

His point was that although casualty counts, body counts, and death tolls can indeed paint a picture that captures the scale of death and destruction on the ground, they can also, at the same time, conceal the violence they were meant to expose.

For instance, we know that at least 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023 and that women and children account for 75% of these deaths, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. But what these numbers conceal is the reality of what these people experienced during their final moments, while under siege and bombardment from an invading military.