How many Palestinians have been killed by Israel since 1947?
Short answer: there is no single audited, universally accepted cumulative number for “since 1947.” Credible datasets cover different periods with different methods. Even using conservative, non-overlapping sources, the total is in the many tens of thousands—and grows substantially when you add earlier wars and recent tallies.
This explainer shows the best-documented figures by period, cites the primary sources, and explains how to avoid double-counting.
Key takeaways
- Gaza war (Oct 2023 → now): Gaza’s Ministry of Health count cited by the UN reported 62,895 Palestinians killed as of 27 Aug 2025; totals are revised periodically as identifications are added.
- 1947–49 war (Nakba): reputable historical sources put Palestinian deaths in the ~10,000–15,000 range (with estimates that vary by historian).
- First Intifada (1987–93): B’Tselem documents ~1,087 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces over the six-year period.
- Second Intifada (2000s): B’Tselem’s decade summary (to Sept 2010) records 6,371 Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces.
Conservative floor (non-overlapping): 1947–49 low estimate (~10,000) + First Intifada (~1,087) + Sep 2000→Jul 2007 (4,228) + Oct 2023→now (62,895) already exceeds 78,000, while leaving out many years (1950–86; 2008–Sep 2023 outside the Intifadas). The true cumulative total is therefore significantly higher.
What each dataset covers (and doesn’t)
| Period | What we can say | Primary source |
|---|---|---|
| 1947–49 war (Nakba) | Credible estimates range ~10,000–15,000 Palestinians killed; historians differ (e.g., Britannica’s 10k–15k; other scholars cite 5.8k–13k). Use ranges, not a single point. | Britannica; Al Jazeera mapping explainer; historiography (Morris, Pappé). |
| First Intifada (1987–93) | ~1,087 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces; B’Tselem provides year-by-year tables. | B’Tselem tables. |
| Sep 2000 → end Jul 2007 | 4,228 Palestinians killed (context: Second Intifada and aftermath, excluding later years). Non-overlapping block you can safely add to older/younger periods. | OCHA “Key trends” briefing (Aug 2007). |
| 2008 → present (rolling) | OCHA runs the live casualties dashboard with yearly totals for the West Bank/Israel and separate Gaza reporting; use this to pull yearly numbers (avoid adding to overlapping B’Tselem periods). | OCHA data hub & dashboards. |
| Gaza war (since Oct 7 2023) | 62,895 Palestinians killed as of 27 Aug 2025 (MoH in Gaza; OCHA situation update). Figure is periodically revised as identifications are confirmed. | OCHA Situation Update #317 (published 28 Aug 2025). |
“So what’s the overall total?” (why it’s higher than any one figure)
Because sources cover different time windows and use different inclusion rules, there is no single audited total “since 1947.” But we can bound the answer:
A responsible lower-bound floor
Add only non-overlapping, conservative blocks: Nakba low estimate (~10k) + First Intifada (~1,087) + Sep 2000→Jul 2007 (4,228) + Oct 2023→now (62,895) ≈ 78,000+. This deliberately leaves out large spans (1950–86; 2008–Sep 2023 outside the above windows), meaning the true cumulative figure is higher.
Why modern totals surge
The current Gaza war alone accounts for more than 62,000 reported Palestinian deaths; peer-reviewed work suggests even higher trauma deaths than officially counted.
If you need a single rolling number for a project, publish a method note and choose one backbone (e.g., OCHA 2008→ for West Bank/Israel + OCHA Gaza war from 2023→; or a historian’s range for 1947–49). Then explain what isn’t included to avoid misleading precision.
Methods & common pitfalls
- Scope differences: Some sources count “killed by Israeli forces”; others count all Palestinians killed during hostilities (including incidents without clear attribution). Check the scope before adding.
- Overlaps: B’Tselem’s person-level database covers 2000→; OCHA’s dashboards begin in 2008, and Gaza war reporting starts Oct 2023. Do not double-count overlapping years.
- Revisions: OCHA notes retroactive additions when identifications are confirmed (e.g., +298 on 23 Aug 2025). Always capture the report date.
Primary sources to bookmark
- OCHA Gaza Situation Update #317 (latest Gaza fatality total and methodology notes).
- OCHA: Data on casualties (2008→) and dashboards for West Bank/Israel yearly totals.
- B’Tselem statistics hub incl. First Intifada tables and 2000s decade summary.
- Britannica: 1948 war overview and Al Jazeera’s Nakba mapping explainer for contextual ranges.
FAQs
Why do some headlines show totals in the “hundreds of thousands”?
Those pieces often combine a mid-range 1947–49 estimate (~10–15k) with later wars, both Intifadas, pre-2023 yearly totals, and the current Gaza war (62k+), and may also include indirect deaths (from collapse of healthcare, famine, etc.), which academic studies suggest substantially raise the toll beyond trauma deaths alone.
Can we produce a single authoritative total?
Not yet. Pre-2000 records aren’t consistently person-level; 2000→ data improves, but methods differ by source. The most responsible approach is to publish period totals with sources and avoid mixing incompatible datasets.
What number should journalists use today?
For the current war, cite the latest OCHA situation update (with date). For historical context, pair a historian’s 1948 range with B’Tselem/OCHA period totals, making overlaps explicit.
