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How many palestinien have been killed since 1948
Executive summary
Different institutions report different totals for Palestinian deaths since 1948; the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) states "more than 134,000"–136,000 Palestinians and Arab martyrs since the Nakba [1] [2] [3]. Secondary compilations and academic datasets cite other totals for specific periods (for example, a Wikipedia compilation lists 66,789 fatalities in a particular accounted period and 144,963 total casualties in that dataset) and UN/OCHA and NGO counts cover narrower time windows rather than the full 1948–present span [4] [5] [6].
1. What the PCBS counts and why it matters
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) — the official Palestinian statistical agency — reports "more than 134,000" martyrs since the Nakba in 1948 up to its recent publications and has reiterated figures around 134,000–136,000 in public statements [2] [3]. That number is presented as cumulative “Palestinian and Arab martyrs killed since the Nakba … inside and outside Palestine,” and PCBS frames it within broader demographic and displacement data [2]. The PCBS figure is authoritative for Palestinian institutions and is widely quoted in regional media and statements [7] [3].
2. Differences in definitions and time windows produce different totals
Other sources track deaths only for certain conflicts, regions, or periods, producing lower or differently scoped totals. For example, UN OCHA and Statista compile deaths in Gaza and the West Bank since 2008 and show numbers far smaller than multi-decade aggregates [6]. Wikipedia’s "Palestinian casualties of war" entry aggregates many incidents and lists totals such as "144,963, including 66,789 fatalities" for a particular coverage choice — note that Wikipedia’s scope and criteria vary and its notes say some records are disputed and that the article is not comprehensive [4]. These differences reflect variations in what is counted (combatants vs. civilians, inside vs. outside Palestine, direct combat deaths vs. indirect deaths from deprivation), the cut-off date, and who compiles the list.
3. Recent years drive upward revisions and headline totals
Several outlets and analyses flagged 2023 as an exceptionally deadly year for Palestinians, producing large year-on-year jumps in cumulative totals. The PCBS and regional media reported tens of thousands of deaths in 2023 alone (for example, reporting 22,404 Palestinian killings in one year and 22,141 since 7 October in one dataset), which explain why aggregate counts cited by PCBS and others rose sharply in that period [8]. Independent commentators and some NGOs also described 2023 as the deadliest year since 1948 [5] [8].
4. Academic and historical datasets — nuanced but fragmentary
Long-term academic datasets (e.g., historical casualty compilations and projects such as GHDx or regional research projects) collect combat deaths and mortality shocks across multiple conflicts but often separate wars and episodes rather than producing a single "since 1948" death toll; these compilations are useful for comparing wars [9]. Some historical overviews note around 10–15,000 casualties during the 1948 fighting specifically, while other historical sources emphasize large displacement numbers (hundreds of thousands displaced in 1948) more than a single, agreed death toll for that year [10] [11].
5. Why there is no single universally accepted number
There is no single, universally accepted total because (a) different actors use different definitions (who counts as Palestinian or Arab; combatant vs. civilian), (b) some agencies include deaths outside Palestine, and (c) record-keeping is inconsistent for older conflicts and chaotic wartime periods, a point Wikipedia warns about [4]. The PCBS’s 134k–136k figure is the clearest single cumulative number in the provided sources and is the official Palestinian statistical claim [2] [3]. Other datasets and media reports support the conclusion that recent years, especially 2023, substantially increased cumulative counts [5] [8].
6. How to read competing claims and next steps for verification
Treat the PCBS figure (more than 134,000–136,000) as the official Palestinian aggregate and note that independent or international counts often focus on specific years or territories and therefore yield different totals [2] [3] [6]. For rigorous comparison, consult primary dataset metadata: who counted, dates covered, geographic scope, inclusion rules (combatant/civilian), and whether indirect deaths (e.g., from deprivation) are included. The current sources do not provide a single reconciled dataset that harmonizes all definitions across 1948–2025; available sources do not mention a single internationally agreed “since 1948” death toll compiled with universally accepted methodology (not found in current reporting).