Comparing the Human Toll of Israeli-Palestinian Conflicts: A Stark Contrast

Historical data shows that Palestinians have borne the highest human cost in the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, with deaths in the Palestinian territories outnumbering those in Israel by a large margin. Since 2008, over 18,600 Palestinians have been killed in conflicts with Israel, compared to at least 1,500 Israelis killed over the same period. The disproportionate casualties can be attributed to Israel's possession of advanced military tools and its targeting of predominantly civilian areas in Palestinian territories. The densely populated Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas, has been the epicenter of the conflict, with Hamas accused of using civilians as human shields and embedding military assets within civilian infrastructure. Israel has vowed to crush Hamas, but eradicating the militants is challenging and comes at a tremendous civilian cost.