Human rights lawyer Steven Donziger says Israel killed more than 300,000 Palestinians

Human rights lawyer Steven Donziger has made the assertion that Israel’s military killed at least 306,000 people in Gaza since October 2023, a figure he argues is not reflected in mainstream media reports.

Donziger, known for his legal battles with Chevron, criticized what he views as a narrow and incomplete accounting of Gaza’s death toll, which he claims is severely underreported in international news outlets.

“Official data from the Gaza Ministry of Health reports approximately 46,000 deaths, but this figure only includes direct fatalities from bombings and missile strikes. It does not take into account the widespread indirect deaths from starvation, disease, and lack of medical care caused by the destruction of Gaza’s health infrastructure and the blockade imposed by Israel,” wrote Donziger.

Using a mathematical calculation, Donziger extrapolated what he believes the true toll of the conflict to be.

According to his analysis, as of January 19, 2024, the number of deaths in Gaza, including both direct and indirect causes, could be as high as 306,000.

Donziger compared this to the population of the United States, stating that if the same proportion of Americans had died in a conflict, it would be equivalent to 46 million people, or about 14% of the country’s population.

Donziger’s figures are based on a study published by The Lancet in June 2023, which estimated that around 186,000 people in Gaza had died by that time, with an average of 654 deaths per day from October 7, 2023, through mid-June 2023.

From this, Donziger calculated that with an additional 214 days of fighting until the ceasefire in January 2024, the total death toll would have risen to approximately 306,000.

While Donziger acknowledges that these estimates are not precise, he maintains that they reflect the scale of the human tragedy in Gaza, noting that the official death count is likely far lower than the reality.

“I have a great deal of confidence that our calculation accurately captures the shocking scale of what has happened—and continues to happen,” Donziger said.

He also pointed to ongoing deaths from continued Israeli airstrikes and the slow-moving crisis caused by famine, disease, and medical shortages.

Donziger further criticized Israel’s military tactics, citing reports that suggest a disproportionate number of civilian casualties, with some Israeli sources allegedly claiming that as many as 300 civilians were killed for each Hamas fighter targeted by airstrikes. He condemned this as a violation of international law and a potential war crime, highlighting the severe impact of Israeli policies on the civilian population in Gaza.

As a former lawyer who represented indigenous communities in Ecuador in a high-profile case against Chevron, Donziger is no stranger to legal battles. His advocacy for human rights has often led to controversy and criticism, particularly regarding his opposition to corporate power and the role of the United States in international conflicts.

His latest assertion about Gaza’s death toll is set against a broader backdrop of increasing global scrutiny of Israel’s military actions and the role of the international community, particularly the United States, in supporting Israeli operations.

The call for accountability has intensified, with some experts and organizations, such as South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, gaining prominence in international legal forums. Donziger himself has referenced these legal avenues as crucial for holding Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza.

As the conflict continues to unfold, Donziger’s claims about Gaza’s death toll remain a highly contested topic, with significant debate surrounding the accuracy of such figures and the broader implications for the international community’s approach to the crisis.