In his February 21, 2025, op-ed, Ralph Nader argues that the reported death toll in Gaza is a vast undercount due to media’s “lazy indifference” and various parties’ interests in keeping the numbers low. He contends that all media outlets, including corporate, public, and independent, rely on the Hamas Ministry of Health (MOH) figures, which he states are outdated because hospitals and mortuaries are no longer operating to provide current data.
Nader highlights that the official Hamas count is over 48,000, but American doctors returning from Gaza nearly a year prior estimated a minimum of 95,000 deaths, excluding those buried under rubble. He suggests that Hamas benefits from a lower count to mitigate internal rage and external criticism, while Israel and the US administration benefit from it to dampen international backlash, boycotts, and demands for sanctions or ICC prosecutions.
He cites Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post acknowledging that MOH figures are used, but that casualty counts are “most certainly underreported.” Nader also mentions a Lancet report suggesting the actual number could be four times higher. He criticizes the Biden State Department for refusing to release its higher death estimates.
Nader points to projections from experts like Professor Devi Sridhar, who in late 2023, estimated half a million Palestinian deaths in 2024 if the destruction continued, but notes that these experts often don’t provide a precise “number.” He contrasts this with media’s willingness to estimate deaths in other conflicts (Syria, Sudan, Ukraine). He also mentions Gazan undertakers reporting burying 17,000 bodies by February 2024.
Nader asserts that the US is complicit in the violence, citing massive weapons supplies and UN vetoes that enable Israel to block reporters and silence dissenting soldiers. He references a soldier who compared their actions in Gaza to those of Nazis. He criticizes certain columnists who deny Israel targets civilians, and mentions historical statements from Israeli officials that he deems racist.
Based on “historical, empirical, and clinical records,” Nader estimates that 300,000 Palestinians had been killed by August 2024, and over 400,000 by the time of his article’s publication. He emphasizes that this number is far greater than combined deaths in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Dresden, and stresses the moral and political importance of accurately estimating civilian casualties.
Finally, Nader includes a list compiled by international law practitioner Bruce Fein, outlining ten alleged violations of international criminal humanitarian law by Israel in Gaza, including genocide, crimes against humanity, targeting civilians, impeding humanitarian aid, and forcible relocation.
Appropriate Insights and Takeaways:
- Challenging Official Narratives: The op-ed strongly challenges the commonly cited casualty figures in the Gaza conflict, suggesting they are a significant undercount. It encourages readers to question official statistics and consider alternative estimates.
- Motivations for Undercounting: Nader posits that various entities—Hamas, Israel, and the US administration—have political motivations to keep the reported death toll low, highlighting a convergence of interests despite their differing roles in the conflict.
- Media Scrutiny: The article critiques media for its reliance on what Nader deems unreliable data, urging greater scrutiny and independent investigation into casualty figures.
- Severity of the Crisis: By presenting significantly higher death toll estimates and comparing them to historical tragedies, Nader emphasizes the extreme scale and human cost of the conflict, aiming to convey its genocidal nature.
- International Law Violations: The inclusion of Bruce Fein’s list serves to frame the conflict within the context of international criminal and humanitarian law, accusing Israel of multiple grave violations.
- US Complicity: Nader directly implicates the US in the ongoing conflict through its military aid and diplomatic support, presenting it as a “co-belligerent.”
- Moral Imperative for Accuracy: The piece underscores the moral importance of accurately reporting casualties, arguing that a truer toll is essential for mobilizing political, diplomatic, and civic resistance.
Read Ralph Nader’s Full Op-Ed HERE.
