Gaza civilian deaths per airstrike 4 times higher than previous Israeli bombings: Study

The number of civilian deaths per Israeli airstrike in Gaza in 2023 is four times higher than previous Israeli bombings under various operations in the besieged city, a study has said. In its recent analysis, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) has revealed a stark increase in civilian casualties resulting from military airstrikes during "Operation Swords of Iron" in Gaza in October 2023.

The study indicated a significant surge in civilian deaths, with an average of 10.1 fatalities per strike.

Elaborating on it, the study suggested that this figure is four times higher than the casualty rates observed in previous Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, particularly during Operation Protective Edge, where the average was 2.5 civilian fatalities per casualty-causing strike.

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The current operation's toll even surpassed the global average (average death rate in other conflict zones) of 7.4 and raises concerns about potential violations of international humanitarian law.

The data also pointed to more intense "Israeli military tactics or targeting policies in 2023." The report called for the urgent need for international intervention to protect civilian lives amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Basis of AOAV findings

AOAV based its findings on English-language media reports. "It is solely an analysis of airstrikes where casualties (killed or injured) were reported and recorded (non-injurious air strikes are not captured). The nature of conflict means that as the scale of conflict grows, less injurious strikes may not go reported by English language media, meaning only the most catastrophic events get captured," the study said.

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The datagave statistics from previous Gaza operations such as "Operation Pillar of Defence", "Operation Protective Edge", "Operation Wall Guardian".Along with it, the report also examined the average death rate in other conflict zones such as Mosul, Aleppo and Raqqa.

"The data is not intended to capture all harm and is not indicative of total numbers killed or injured. All air strikes recorded within the time frame are listed, but some air strikes only harmed armed actors. These are not included in the civilian harm analysis. In Mosul, Aleppo and Raqqa, we took the most injurious month to civilians from airstrikes to compare to what was happening in Gaza in October 2023," the study added.

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During "Operation Swords of Iron" in October 2023, AOAV recorded 299 total airstrikes, with 276 causing civilian harm. The civilian casualties amounted to 4,104 (2,798 killed, 1,306 injured), resulting in an average of 10.1 deaths per civilian casualty-causing airstrike.

The study also underscored the substantial human cost, with the average number of civilians killed per casualty-causing airstrike being the highest in recent Gaza operations.

(With inputs from agencies)

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