What do the numbers say about the victims of the war in the Gaza Strip

Behind the death toll in the Gaza war lie striking observations, including the fact that the groups that should have had the greatest chance of survival constituted a large proportion of the victims. The most vulnerable groups in the besieged Palestinian territory paid a heavy price in the war and accounted for the majority of the dead.

According to demographic data issued by the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, covering the period from October 7, 2023, to September 8, 2026, more than half of the dead were children, women, and the elderly, representing over 52 percent of the more than 74,000 killed.

The data shows that the first two months of the war were the deadliest, with 10,803 people killed in October 2023 and 9,955 in November 2023.

The figures, reviewed by the BBC, indicate that the monthly death toll of children and women constituted the majority until June 2025, not including the elderly. As military operations continued, the most vulnerable groups (children, women, and the elderly) continued to represent the largest proportion of recorded fatalities.

According to statistics from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, at least 74,243 people were killed in the war as a result of military operations, including at least 1,115 infants, while more than 175,000 injuries were recorded, as of October 5, 2026.

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip indicates that the number of deaths among men (aged 18-59) reached at least 35,111, representing 47.79 percent of the total fatalities.

The most vulnerable groups accounted for more than half of the death toll, including children (under 18 years old),with 21,784 deaths, representing 29.65 percent, women (18-59 years old),with 11,213 deaths, representing 15.26 percent, and the elderly, with 5,355 deaths, representing 7.29 percent.