This is an entry from: Gaza live: Biden moves ahead with military aid for Israel as it launches ground assaults on Rafah
WHO defends Gaza health ministry death toll figures
14 May 2024 13:30 BST
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has publicly defended the statistics given by Gaza's health ministry over the numbers killed by Israel's assault on the enclave.
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said there was “nothing wrong” with the ministry's figures at a Geneva press briefing on Tuesday, despite recent reports in Israeli media outlets casting doubt on the numbers.
“The fact we now have 25,000 identified people is a step forward,” he said, referring to the breakdown of the more than 35,000 killed in Gaza published by the ministry last week.
The breakdown suggested that half of those killed since 7 October were women and children, which Israeli observers claimed suggested the figures had been revised, something the UN has dismissed.