The ministry is run by Hamas, which Israel, the US, Germany, the EU and other organizations designate as a terrorist organization. The United Nations and Israeli intelligence officials deem the numbers reported by Gaza's health ministry as reliable. Given Israel's ongoing military operation in the small enclave, numbers cannot be independently verified. Several third-party studies have indicated the true death toll could be nearly twice as high. According to a study by an international research team, more than 80,000 Palestinians are said to have been killed by January of this year. The scientific journal Nature reported on the study, which was conducted under the direction of Michael Spagat from Royal Holloway College, University of London, in late June 2025. The scientists worked closely with the research organization The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), which is funded by the European Union, among others. PCPSR staff surveyed 2,000 families about deaths within their household and then extrapolated the figures. A study published in the Lancet in January of this year also found that deaths in Gaza were being underreported. For this study, obituaries on social networks were compared with the Health Ministry's lists. The war in Gaza was triggered by a terrorist attack Hamas led on Israel on October 7, 2023. Around 1,200 people were killed, and Hamas abducted 251 people as hostages in the Gaza Strip. According to official Israeli information, 50 people kidnapped from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. According to the Times of Israel on Tuesday, 895 Israeli army personnel have also died in the war. How many people are starving in the Gaza Strip? After almost two years of war, the lack of basic goods entering the Gaza Strip has had dramatic consequences. Many Palestinians are suffering from hunger, often lacking most basic necessities. According to Welthungerhilfe, a German non-profit humanitarian assistance organization, the 25 remaining bakeries had to close at the beginning of April. Most of the 177 community kitchens have also run out of supplies, Welthungerhilfe told DW. Almost one in three people eat nothing for days on end, the UN World Food Program (WFP) told DW. For most of them, food aid is the only way to get any food at all.