Initial Findings
Airwars, a conflict monitor, has named nearly 3,000 Palestinians killed in the first 17 days of the ongoing Gaza war. This initial count covers 346 incidents, a small part of the overall death toll of 39,000 reported by Gaza’s Palestinian health ministry.
Effort for Accountability
Emily Tripp, Airwars’ director, emphasized the importance of identifying victims during conflicts, countering claims that it’s impossible to track casualties in real time. “Our key message is that it’s possible,” she said. The group aims to produce dossiers on each incident to support future accountability efforts.
Case Example
One of the deadliest single incidents occurred on October 9 at a market in the Jabalia refugee camp, where 65 people were killed in an airstrike. Victims included 19-year-old Imad Hamad, whose father, Ziyad, questioned why his son had to die while buying bread.
Children Most Affected
Children accounted for 37.7% of the named victims, with men and women making up 28.4% and 23.5% respectively. Nearly 75% of the names were validated by cross-referencing with the Palestinian ministry of health’s list.
Intense Conflict
The Israel-Gaza war, which began after a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, has seen an unprecedented number of casualties. Airwars has logged over 4,450 incidents of civilian harm, with many cases still under review. Tripp highlighted the unusually high number of incidents with 10 or more civilian deaths.
Conclusion
Airwars’ ongoing work aims to bridge the gap between chaos and justice, providing a foundation for future investigations into civilian casualties in Gaza.
