War in Gaza: How HAMAS Distorts Casualty Statistics - A Study.

A new study published in the Middle East Quarterly reveals systematic manipulation of data regarding casualties in the Gaza conflict and bias among global media in reporting on the conflict.

Researchers uncovered that the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is controlled by HAMAS, employs various manipulations to inflate the number of civilians who have become victims. They reclassified militants as civilians, included in the statistics those who died from diseases or natural causes, and made errors in demographic data. Researchers found that adult men were recorded as children, and 31-year-old men were noted as infants. There was also an unusual increase in the percentage of women and children among casualties on certain dates, which contradicts the data from HAMAS.

Researchers also analyzed how global media report on the conflict. They found that only 3% of publications indicated the presence of militants among the casualties, while 15% of the media stated that the Gaza Ministry of Health does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its reports. Some media outlets, including The Guardian and CNN, did not mention losses among militants at all. It was also discovered that 20% of publications quoted HAMAS data without referencing the source.

Researchers emphasize that the use of unreliable HAMAS data significantly impacts policy, legal processes, and public opinion. They also highlight that this approach by the media to cover the conflict violates journalistic standards and influences public perception.

Moreover, the study showed that Israel adheres to the principles of the Law of Armed Conflict and strives to minimize civilian casualties.

The study's conclusions underline the necessity of critical thinking and data verification when receiving information about conflicts.