The challenges of counting the dead in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war

The war raging in the Gaza Strip continues to leave people in peril, as Israel pushes to destroy Hamas and its infrastructure across the tightly packedterritory.

Amid six weeks of conflict, an estimated1.6 million Gazans have been displaced from their homes, according to UN data. Thedeath toll is mounting with thousands reported killed in Gaza, separate from those who died in Hamas' surprise cross-border attacks on Israel last month.

With outside parties unable to enter the besieged seaside enclave, it is left to the two warring sides to countthe dead a challenging task in any conflict, but particularly in one that has seen so many civilians killed in varying and horrific circumstances.

Conflict erupts

The fighting erupted when Hamas launched a series of attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The Israeli government now says some 1,200 people died in the sudden violence and 240 people were taken hostage.

In response, Israel declared war on Hamas.An ensuing bombardment of Gaza and eventual ground campaignfollowed. Authorities in Hamas-run Gaza said Saturday the death toll hasreached 12,300.

Israel has pointed to steps it takes to prevent civilian casualties, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahurecentlyacknowledged these efforts have sometimesfallen short.

"Any civilian death is a tragedy and we shouldn't have any," Netanyahu told CBS News this week,blamingHamasfor putting people at risk.

WATCH | Netanyahu on civilian casualties in Gaza:

Netanyahu asked about civilian deaths in Gaza

11 months ago

Duration 1:07

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with Norah O'Donnell of CBS News, again blamed Hamas for putting civilians in harm's way but noted that Israel has not been successful in its bid to minimize civilian casualties.

The war's lethal consequences have touched communities far from the Gaza Strip including in Canada.

As of Friday, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) says it is "aware of the deaths of seven Canadian citizens and one with deep connections to Canada," though the department does not specifywhere those deaths occurred.

Prior media reporting on the conflictsuggests most of the known Canadian-connecteddeaths have occurred in Israel.

Changing counts

Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, the death toll in Israel climbed steadilyand was eventually estimated at 1,400 people.

On Nov. 10, a spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Ministry said the known death toll was actually closer to 1,200 people.

Identifyingthose slain in the Hamas attacks has been challenging and archaeologists have been involved in some cases, according to reports.

Mark Schwartz, a retiredU.S. Army lieutenant-general who served as the U.S. security co-ordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, found the initial confusion on these death tolls"very understandable," as Israeli authorities were caught off guard by the attacks and had to learn what they could as information emerged.

That process has continued throughout the war, as Israeli authorities gradually learned more about the fate of some hostages and some missing people, who were later confirmed dead. On Friday, Hamasannounced a85-year-old hostage died as a result of what it said was a panic attack, following an airstrike.

Civilian deaths in Gaza

Gaza's steadily rising death tollhas continued to make headlines and prompted repeated calls for a ceasefire.

Reports suggest that medical professionalsrelay news ofrecorded deaths to the health ministry in Gaza.Yet Israeli officials and even U.S. President Joe Biden have expressed skepticism of Gaza-reported totals. However, these sources have recordedfatality totals that have been largely consistent with UN-reported totals in past conflicts.

Schwartz, who is also an adjunct researcher at the RAND Corporation think-tank,saidsome suspicion of Hamas' motives might be warranted, but Gaza isa relatively small place, where "people know where people are," suggestingdeaths would not go unnoticed.

He said the Israeli siege of Gaza has meant that non-governmental organizations are not able to freely move around the territory at this time. Thatleaves them unable toobserveevents that are unfolding from close up, as might be the case in some conflicts.

Italso may be more difficult for Israel to assessthe impact of its own strikes in Gaza, given the circumstances. Schwartz said drones might be one method Israel was using to gather that information.

Daniel Silverman, an assistant professor of political science at Carnegie Mellon University,and a colleague reviewed a batch of data that Gaza officials released last monthoutlining reported deaths there during the first few weeks of the war.

WATCH | No end to the grief in Gaza and Israel:

More than 12,000 people have died in Gaza, Health Ministry says

11 months ago

Duration 3:17

As the number of people killed in Gaza surpasses 12,000, another Israeli hostage has died as well. But Israel continues to say there will be no ceasefire until all the hostages are released, despite increasing international pressure.

Their analysis found the reported deaths mirrored the demographic contours of the Palestinian population suggesting "most of the dead" in Gaza are likely civilians.

"Clearly many civilians are being killed," Silverman said, discussing the workhe and MichaelSpagat, an economics professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, had conducted.

Silverman and Spagat believetheproportion of women,children and also elderly people being killed appears to be higher than in prior conflicts in Gaza in 2008-09 and 2014.

WATCH | Israel's campaign in Gaza and its casualties:

Can Israel defeat Hamas with fewer civilian casualties?

11 months ago

Duration 15:47

Israel's response to the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attacks which killed some 1,200 Israeli citizens has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health. Andrew Chang explores whether it might have been possible for an alternative response that could have led to fewer Palestinian deaths.

In Gaza, the danger to civilians has not relented over the course of the war, as theyhave faced risks whether staying put or trying to get to a safer area, observers said.

With airstrikes having levelled residential structures and struck areas where people have been sheltering, it's unclear how many deaths may not have been counted. Such airstrikes reportedly killed dozensin south Gaza on Saturday alone, Gaza health officials said.