Classified IDF Intelligence Data Contradicts Claims of Low Civilian Toll

The data, obtained by journalists from +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian, indicates that as of mid-2025, the IDF identified roughly 8,900 fighters from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as deceased. When measured against the total death toll reported at the time, the proportion of non-combatant deaths far exceeds rates documented in other modern conflicts, including the wars in Bosnia, Syria, and Ukraine. Retired IDF General Itzhak Brik characterized the government's public messaging as a calculated deception, stating there is no connection between official announcements and the reality on the ground.

Discrepancies in Military Reporting

Internal accounts from intelligence sources suggest that the military routinely labels those killed in strikes as terrorists regardless of their actual status. In one instance, a battalion in Rafah reported killing 100 individuals labeled as combatants, though an officer later testified that all but two were unarmed. These findings directly challenge the narrative promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and international supporters, such as West Point’s John Spencer, who have repeatedly claimed that Israel has implemented unprecedented measures to minimize civilian harm. While the IDF has dismissed the specific figures in the report as incorrect, the investigation highlights a systemic loosening of rules of engagement—including the use of heavy bunker-buster bombs in densely populated areas—that has contributed to a rising death toll now exceeding 62,000.