US House votes to restrict use of Gaza ministry death toll statistics
3 Min Read
For years, the Gaza Health Ministry has been a reliable source cited by both the State Department and news outlets during Israeli aggressions on Gaza.
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Palestinians bury families killed in the Israeli bombardment who were brought from the Al-Shifa hospital in a mass grave in the town of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, November 22, 2023. (AP)
The House approved an amendment that prohibits the State Department from using the Gaza Health Ministry's death toll statistics, potentially preventing further discussion on casualties related to the war if the measure becomes law.
The bipartisan amendment passed with a vote of 269-144 as part of the State Department's annual appropriations bill. Sixty-two Democrats joined nearly all Republicans, with only two opposing the measure.
The amendment was spearheaded by representatives Jared Moskowitz, Josh Gottheimer, Joe Wilson, Mike Lawler, and Carol Miller.
For years, the Gaza Health Ministry has been a reliable source cited by both the State Department and news outlets during Israeli aggressions on Gaza. Its daily death toll updates have been crucial for understanding the humanitarian impact on Palestinians in the region during the current genocide, which began in October.
Not an isolated incident
Back on October 27, Gaza's Health Ministry unveiled a sorrowful catalog, a poignant record of over 7,000 Palestinian souls, among them nearly 3,000 innocent children, who have been killed due to the ongoing brutal Israeli aggression since October 7.
Every name is accompanied by a government-issued identification number, a measure aimed at demonstrating transparency.
The enormity of children lost to Israel’s genocide is staggering. While sharing pictures of all is impossible, this a list of all the names of these innocent victims, a list that would take a day to read. Each name stands as a somber reminder of the unfolding slaughtering of… pic.twitter.com/nVobai0P1E
— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) October 26, 2023
This came in response to the insolent remarks made by United States President Joe Biden who expressed skepticism regarding the figures of Palestinians killed coming out from Gaza, stating that he lacks confidence in the numbers provided by the Palestinians there.
'Denial of genocide'
The Israeli occupation launched propaganda claiming that the Ministry exaggerates the death toll for political motives.
However, the World Health Organization has lately confirmed its trust in the accuracy of the Gaza Health Ministry's data.
“Nothing wrong with the data, the overall data (more than 35,000) are still the same,” WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier affirmed last month. “The fact we now have 25,000 identified people is a step forward.”
Read next: WHO refutes Israeli claims of Gaza Health Ministry data inaccuracies
Rep. Rashida Tlaib criticized the amendment during a statement on Wednesday, labeling it as a form of "denial of genocide."
Tlaib included details from the death toll and other war-related information in her congressional remarks, stating her intention to read out a list of the names of those who were killed in the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
This is happening as the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7 has risen to 37,765 and those injured to 86,429, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.
Read next: US to resume previously suspended bomb shipments for 'Israel': Axios
