🇮🇱 Unveiling the True Cost: Israel’s Concealed Soldier Casualties

Last Updated on July 20, 2024

In the midst of its lengthiest and most devastating conflict with Palestinian resistance forces, Israel faces mounting scrutiny from medical and media circles, urging the transparent disclosure of its military losses—an uncommon practice during wartime.

The persistently looming question of “How many Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza?” gains prominence as the Israeli military’s ground campaign in the war-torn enclave approaches its second month.

The apparent paradox emerges: if Israel’s military is enduring relatively few casualties while causing substantial harm to Palestinian civilians, it suggests a successful pursuit of its explicit goal to eradicate Hamas, along with implicit objectives of seizing Gaza, displacing its 2.3 million inhabitants, and reconstructing the Gush Katif settlement bloc.

Conversely, a significant toll on the occupation army could force Israeli military and political leaders to terminate their campaign prematurely, citing external pressure as a pretext.

Secrecy Enshrouding Israeli Losses

Israel’s military officially stated on December 17 that 121 soldiers had been killed since the commencement of its delayed ground campaign on October 27. However, the accurate count of Israeli soldier casualties remains elusive, as the military employs extensive measures to obscure combat losses, exemplified by a recent undisclosed clash between Hamas and the esteemed Golani Brigade.

Despite the official figure, doubts persist about the actual number of soldiers lost, especially in incidents like the operation in Shujaiyya on December 12. Israeli Lt. Col. Tomer Grinberg, commander of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion, fell in the operation, along with nine other soldiers, according to official accounts. However, there are compelling reasons to believe the actual toll is higher, with reports of a more significant loss of high-ranking officers.

Hamas, through its armed wing, claims to have killed 11 soldiers in Shujaiyya and reports additional casualties in other locations on the same day, challenging the credibility of Israel’s casualty figures.

Censorship and Control of Information

Despite claiming to be the only democracy in the Middle East, Tel Aviv tightly controls information on military casualties, employing military censors to manage what the press can disclose. This control aims to preserve the image of the invincible Israeli soldier, a cornerstone of the Zionist project.

Anecdotal evidence and estimates from Hezbollah suggest that the official count of 115 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza and near the Lebanese border may be considerably lower than the actual figure. Reports from various sources indicate unacknowledged mass casualties, raising questions about the accuracy of the official narrative.

Doubts and Discrepancies

Anecdotes and estimates from different sources, including Hezbollah, suggest a discrepancy in the official count of Israeli soldiers killed. Reports from within Israel, including statements from a rabbi and the director of a military cemetery, indicate a potential underreporting of casualties.

The military’s reluctance to disclose the number of wounded soldiers further fuels suspicions of underreporting, with hospital data indicating a considerable gap between reported military figures and the actual number of wounded soldiers.

Challenges to the Official Narrative

The Israeli military’s track record of misinformation since the beginning of the conflict, including false claims and cover-ups, raises skepticism about the accuracy of information regarding soldier casualties. As a result, the true extent of Israeli losses remains uncertain, and there are valid reasons to question the credibility of the information provided by the military.