Cost of War: 151 Days, 1,469 Dead, Tens of Thousands Victims of Terror

March 6, 2024

by: Maayan Ruda, Hadar Gil-Ad and Yoav Zitun ~ Ynetnews

Wednesday, 6 March 2024 | The Iron Swords War, ignited by Hamas’s brutal massacre on October 7, has claimed the lives of 1,468 people in Israel to date, the majority on the day it erupted. These war figures underscore the profound impact on Israel in the 150 days since its onset.

According to Ynet data, the war has so far claimed the lives of 839 civilians, including 36 children under 18 years old—among them a ten-month-old infant, seven aged between two to nine years and 29 teenagers between 10 to 17 years old.

Additionally, 629 security and rescue personnel have perished in the war, 586 of them Israel Defense Forces [IDF] soldiers.

The National Insurance Institute reports that 61,942 individuals have been victims of terrorist acts. The age breakdown of these victims includes 3,557 aged 0-3 years, 3,726 aged 3-6 years, 8,659 aged 6-14 years, 3,586 aged 14-18 years and 42,414 aged 18 years and older.

These individuals have suffered physical and/or psychological injuries and are recognized as victims of hostility and terror. Notably, around 20,000 victims of these hostile acts are under the age of 20.

Cost of War on IDF

Beyond the civilian impact, the war has also imposed a significant and painful cost on IDF soldiers. Since the war began, 586 soldiers have lost their lives, 246 of whom died in the ground offensive in Gaza. Of these, 37 were fatalities in operational accidents: 19 from friendly fire, three from stray bullets and 15 from armament, weapons and vehicular accidents.

So far, 3,030 IDF soldiers have been injured: 1,755 lightly, 800 moderately and 475 severely. Currently, 88 of these soldiers are hospitalized with light injuries, 191 with moderate injuries and 37 with severe injuries. Notably, the ground offensive alone resulted in 1,453 injuries to soldiers, 303 of whom suffered severe injuries.

Among the injured, 545 were hurt in operational accidents, including 24 from stray bullets, 54 from friendly fire, 31 from road accidents, 45 under “other” and 391 from accidents involving anti-tank missiles, arms, weapons and machine gun mishaps.

The Hostages

Another tragic toll of the war is the hostages held in the Gaza Strip. On October 7, 253 Israelis and foreigners were kidnapped; 123 have been released—most in a previous deal with Hamas, five before that—and three through heroic IDF, Yamam and Shin Bet rescue operations (Ori Magidish, Luis Har and Fernando Marman).

Additionally, 11 bodies were recovered and 134 individuals remain abducted—including 33 confirmed deceased (including the bodies of soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, abducted before October 7), whose remains are still in Gaza.

Among the 134 remaining captives are civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, held even before October 7 and the bodies of Goldin and Shaul. Alongside the abducted, there is one missing person—Bilha Yinon, initially determined to have been murdered in Netiv HaAsara, later reclassified by the IDF as missing.

Three hostages—Alon Shamriz, Yotam Haim and Samar Talalqa—were accidentally killed by IDF fire in Shijaiyah. Hamas murdered eight others, but IDF soldiers recovered their bodies.

Among the remaining hostages, there are 111 men and 19 women, including two children under the age of 5 (Ariel and Kfir Bibas); 11 foreign nationals (eight from Thailand, one from Nepal, one from Tanzania and one dual French/Mexican citizen); and 119 Israelis.

‘Every Casualty Is a World Unto Themselves’

The National Insurance Institute said in a statement, “Regrettably, since the disaster on October 7, the number of fatalities and injuries has continued to rise. Beyond the victims themselves, entire families are grappling with challenges unprecedented in the state’s history. The National Insurance Institute’s staff, especially the departments of hostility and rehabilitation, are working tirelessly to provide support to all those in need, alongside ongoing efforts with legislators to secure broader assistance than currently available by law.”

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari recently addressed the painful costs of the war following the deaths of Sergeant Dolev Haim Malca, 19, Sergeant Afik Tery, 19 and Sergeant Yinon Yitzhak, 20 in an explosion in a booby-trapped building in Khan Younis.

Hagari highlighted that terrorists from the area where the explosion occurred launched attacks on the kibbutzim [collective communities] of Kissufim, Ein HaShlosha, Nirim and Nir Oz on October 7, carrying out massacres. “We must cleanse this space,” he said. “The costs of war are heavy and painful. Every casualty is a world unto themselves.”

Posted on March 6, 2024

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on March 5, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: McCoy Brown/bridgesforpeace.com