Israeli Attacks Result in Over 40,000 Palestinian Deaths in Gaza Strip

Israeli airstrikes have claimed more than 40,000 Palestinian lives in the Gaza Strip since intense fighting began on October 7. Among the deceased, nearly 17,000 are children, which accounts for approximately 2.6 percent of all children in Gaza. Reports indicate that at least 53 children are killed each day, alongside an additional 72 adults who also lose their lives in daily Israeli aerial bombardments.

Many of the dead have not yet been recovered, with estimates suggesting that at least 10,000 individuals may be buried beneath the rubble, the majority of whom are presumed to be deceased. To put this in perspective, the number of casualties could fill Madison Square Garden in New York City twice, as the arena has a capacity of 19,500.

To illustrate the scale of this crisis: if 40,000 people stood in a line in Paris, the first person would be at the Notre-Dame Cathedral, while the last would be in Versailles, stretching the line 24 kilometers. If those 40,000 deceased formed a human chain, they could circle the entirety of Manhattan. It would take an average person walking at a speed of 5 kilometers per hour approximately 12 hours to travel from the beginning of the chain to the end.

Of the more than 40,000 casualties, 18.4 percent are women, and 33 percent are children. Prior to October 7, Gaza’s population was around two million, with nearly half of that population being children. The 17,000 children who have lost their lives could fill approximately 550 classrooms.

The severity of the situation is exacerbated by the fact that over 500 schools, which have served as shelters, have been struck by Israeli attacks, resulting in extensive damage and destruction. A whole academic year has been lost for Palestinian children in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict over the past ten months.