Number of Palestinian fatalities & injuries during the Middle East conflict 2008-2023

The number of fatalities amongst the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza between 2008 and September 2023 stood at 6,407 and the number of injured people was 152,560. While the majority of fatalities amongst the Palestinians was in the Gaza Strip, more than half of the injured were based in the West Bank.

Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023

The radical Islamic Palestinian terror organization Hamas attacked Israel in the early hours of October 7, 2023, on Sabbath - the Jewish day of rest. This strategic attack from Gaza was directed towards Israeli civilians and armed forces. An estimated 2,200 rockets were fired by Hamas from Gaza toward Israeli targets, hitting civilian buildings and military facilities. Hamas fighters entered the Israeli territory, killing around 1,200 of Israeli citizens. In the weeks that followed, the Israeli military conducted an aerial bombardment and launched a ground offensive in Gaza. Humanitarian pauses allowed aid to get into Gaza, but fighting has continued since a weeklong cease-fire ended on December 1, 2023. The attacks resulted in a massive escalation of the Middle Eastern conflict, which pushed a political solution further away. The number of civilian casualties in Gaza and Israel is rising each day the conflict continues.

Before October 2023, there had been four wars between Israel and Hamas. The current conflict is already the deadliest, and the death toll is certain to rise.