Israeli new army chief admits Gaza losses higher than reported

Israel’s newly appointed Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, revealed this week a significant discrepancy between the actual war losses in Gaza and the figures previously reported by the Israeli army, stating that the number of soldiers killed and wounded is much higher than officially disclosed.

Official Israeli army figures state that 844 Israeli officers and soldiers were killed in Gaza since the start of the war on 7 October 2023 and around 5,696 wounded. 

Around 1,200 Israelis were killed in Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks, including around 400 military, according to official data. 

Zamir said there were at least 5,942 registered “bereaved families” since 7 October, with some likely having more than one family member killed in the war on Gaza.

He added that there were over 15,000 soldiers who suffered from physical and mental injuries and had been absorbed into the rehabilitation system.

Al Jazeera’s Israel expert Azzam Abu Al-Adas confirmed that the Israeli army uses the phrase “bereaved families” to refer to a family of military personnel who had been confirmed killed in the war and does not include civilians.

Israel’s Channel 12 said Zamir called for more care for families of those killed and injured, saying: “We must ensure they receive appropriate support and assistance”.

Zamir was appointed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC over war crimes in Gaza, in March.

Several reports have previously indicated that Israel was under-reporting the number of casualties in the war on Gaza.

In December 2023, Haartez said there was a large disparity between the number of wounded soldiers reported by the Israeli army compared with hospital records.

It added that the Israeli army had announced from October to December that 1,593 soldiers were wounded, but Israeli health ministry data showed the actual number was a staggering 10,548.

“Even accounting for various notation and reporting gaps, which may occur in the hospital field, the discrepancy is large between the army’s figures and those of the hospitals,” the report said.

In October 2024, Haaretz also reported that around 1,000 wounded soldiers were admitted to rehabilitation centres each month, along with new injury claims associated with past incidents.

The report stated that the rehabilitation division estimates that by 2030, around 100,000 Israeli soldiers will be classed as disabled, and almost half also experience some form of psychological challenge.

Despite the figures and an ongoing fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Zamir maintained that “2025 will remain a year of fighting”.

“The defence ministry must continue to work on improving its combat capabilities, building strength and supporting the needs of the IDF and national security missions,” he added.

He noted that last year, the Israeli defence ministry purchased weapons worth 220 billion shekels, equating to around $61.5 billion, which is four times the number of previous years.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Gaza said this week that the updated death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza since October 2023 is 61,709. The figure includes 17,881 children and 214 newborn infants.

The head of the Gaza government media office added the bodies of 76 percent of Palestinians killed since October 2023 have been recovered but around 14,222 are believed to be still trapped under the rubble.