Israeli strikes have reduced the life expectancy of men in the Gaza Strip by 38 years.

An international team of researchers analyzed changes in life expectancy in the Gaza Strip after October 7, 2023. Prior to this date, it was 75.5 years—higher than in Russia, for instance. The historical record in our country was recorded in 2023 (data from the previous year has yet to be processed), with a figure of 73.46 years. This is quite a good indicator, especially considering that the local society's GDP per capita is significantly lower than Russia's. A possible reason for this advantage could be lower per capita alcohol consumption and a milder climate.

After October 7, 2023, mortality data in the Gaza Strip is incomplete, as in cases of bomb or artillery strikes, some bodies are difficult to identify or even locate under the rubble. Therefore, the local Ministry of Health provided two estimates of mortality. One was based on identified bodies, while the other included not only the confirmed deceased but also those missing, if their relatives believed they were in a potentially affected area during the bombings.

Based on this data, between October 2023 and September 2024, the average life expectancy in the Gaza Strip dropped to 40.5 years. Specifically, for women, the decline was only 29.9 years (from 77.4 to 47.5), while for men, it was 38.0 years (from 73.6 to 35.6).

The authors of the study noted that when considering only the identified bodies, where the identities of the deceased could presumably be established, the expected life expectancy in the Gaza Strip is higher—44.4 years. This means that the decline in the indicator due to the war was just over 30 years. Conversely, if we include missing persons, whom the Ministry of Health counted as deceased, the average life expectancy in the Gaza Strip decreased to 36.1 years, representing a drop of approximately 40 years.

From October 2023 to January 2025, the local Ministry of Health recorded 45,936 deaths from Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip and over 10,000 missing persons, presumably trapped under rubble after bombings. However, the researchers included only 41,615 deceased in their study, as they limited their analysis to September 2024, while people continued to die afterward. During the mass attacks by Hamas (residents of the Gaza Strip) in Israel on October 7, 2023, 1,200 civilians were killed, and hundreds were taken hostage.

For comparison, during the Battle of Britain, the Germans dropped 40,000 tons of bombs, killing 40,000 civilians. In Stalingrad, from August 1942 to February 1943, approximately 40,000 civilians died from all causes (not only from bombs but also from shelling, cold, and disease). Thus, the events in the Gaza Strip, in terms of civilian casualties per unit of time, are less intense than those in Stalingrad, but are quite close to the losses of the English civilian population from German air raids. At the same time, there is currently no understanding of the total bomb tonnage used by Israel in this process. According to some estimates, by the fall of 2024, it had reached 85,000 tons, while others suggest it was only 70,000 tons. Satellite images indicate that 62% of all buildings in the Gaza Strip are either damaged or destroyed.

Earlier, Naked Science described the historical roots of the conflict that began on October 7, 2023, and its overall prospects for the future.