Benjamin Netanyahu/X
© Benjamin Netanyahu/X
The US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza accounted for almost 40 percent of total civilian casualties around the world

According to a new report from the UK-based conflict monitor Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Israel has been identified as "the single largest perpetrator of civilian harm in 2024," responsible for 55 percent of "all civilian casualties from explosive weapons" worldwide.

AOAV also noted a 67 percent increase in civilian casualties resulting from "explosive violence" since the start of the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

"The report attributes 33,910 reported deaths and injuries to Israeli actions, primarily in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. This also marks a 139% increase in civilian harm caused by Israel compared to 2023, when it accounted for 39% of global civilian casualties," a press release from AOAV states.


As of 15 January, Gaza's Ministry of Health documented at least 46,707 Palestinian fatalities, with over 110,265 others injured. However, a scientific study published recently by The Lancet revealed that the death toll from the Israeli genocide was "undercounted" by 41 percent during the first nine months.

"We estimated 64,260 deaths due to traumatic injury during the study period, suggesting the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) under-reported mortality by 41 percent," the study says, adding that about 60 percent of those killed were women, children, and the elderly.

The medical journal reported in June last year that the death toll in Gaza could end up between 149,000 and 598,000 - taking into account direct and indirect deaths.

"The escalation of Israeli military ground operations and attacks on healthcare facilities severely disrupted the latter's ability to record deaths electronically ... This might have led to incomplete and geographically biased reporting, as seen in other conflict zones where prolonged warfare complicates casualty tracking."

Tuesday's report from AOAV also reveals that civilian casualties from the use of explosive weapons have risen by 1,145 percent compared to 10 years ago. "Explosive violence incidents as a whole were up by 260% compared to 2014, reflecting a global escalation in the use of these weapons in conflict zones," the conflict


Earlier this week, the popular US television news program, CBS News's 60 Minutes, aired a report titled "Across the now-decimated Gaza Strip, America's mark is everywhere," showing footage shot in May showing of US-made ammunition casings littering the strip.

The report included an interview with former US diplomat Hala Rharrit, who recounted being told not to tell of or show images of slaughtered children by her superiors at the State Department. A short time later, she was informed that her reports on the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza were no longer required.


Israel is facing charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza in a case backed by over a dozen countries. Top Israeli leaders also face arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the use of starvation as a weapon of war.