Israel is perpetrating genocide in the Gaza Strip, according to a study published on December 5 by the human rights organization Amnesty International. According to Reuters, the United States and Israel have both refuted the accusation. Additionally, some social media users refuted the genocide claim by citing erroneous demographic statistics for Gaza. “Exciting News! In a Dec. 5 Instagram video, someone claims that the population of Gaza has grown by 2.02% since Oct. 7, 2023, according to the CIA World Factbook. Additionally, the individual accuses Amnesty International of being “liars” for claiming that a genocide is occurring in Gaza.
Population growth in Gaza
To counteract misleading information on its News Feed, Meta flagged this post. The Gaza Strip’s population is expected to expand by 2.02% in 2024, according to the CIA’s World Factbook. But that estimate is predicated on growth forecasts from August 2023, before Israel’s counteroffensive in Gaza and Hamas’ October 7, 2023, strike. According to the World Factbook’s website, the U.S. Census Bureau provides its population data. The projection is in line with the International Population Estimates and Projections published by the agency on August 8, 2023. According to the bureau, a 2017 census is the source of its population statistics estimations and projections for the Gaza Strip. Although the CIA Factbook reference page claims to use data from the Census Bureau, Census Bureau spokesperson Kristina Barrett informed PolitiFact that she was unable to independently verify the source of the data. She stated that the August 2023 International Population Estimates and Projections would provide the census data if the CIA World Factbook used it. According to Barrett, information was released prior to the start of the conflict. The CIA had several questions on the sources of its population growth rates, but the agency did not answer.
Gaza sees population surge
Additionally, the CIA’s estimate of 2.02% population growth was not recently published, despite what the Facebook post said. That figure has been there since at least July 18, according to a web-archived version of the page. According to a July UN report, Gaza’s present population is 200,000 fewer than the region’s estimated 2024 population. According to border officials, over 110,000 Palestinians fled Gaza via Egypt during the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to the same article. Gaza’s health ministry reported in August that since October 2023, more than 40,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza. According to a recent PolitiFact analysis, the size and severity of the fighting in Gaza make it impossible for the UN to independently confirm the number of fatalities. According to experts, the facts shouldn’t be completely disregarded or taken at face value.
Rising numbers in Gaza
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 165 individuals had been hospitalized due to severe acute malnutrition by August 20, 2024. 1234 people, mostly children, have perished from starvation since October 7, 2024. The survival, growth, and development of children are severely harmed by maternal and infant hunger and malnutrition. Due to the prolonged conflict and the limitations placed on humanitarian access, there has been a significant risk of famine in the Gaza Strip for several months.
| Fact | Detail |
| Population Growth | Since October 7, 2023, Gaza’s population has grown by 2.02%. This indicates a significant increase in the population of the area. |
| Start date | October 7, 2023, serves as the benchmark for this population expansion. The observed growth trend began at this point. |
| Region | In Gaza, an area with a complicated political and demographic environment, the population expansion is particularly noticeable. |
| Population change | The fact that the change is an increase suggests that during this time, the population has increased in both size and density. |
| Time span | Since October 7, 2023, the population has grown, indicating growth in a short period of time. |
| Estimated Current Population | Although the final population estimate is still pending, the growth percentage shows how much the population has grown since the specified date. |
Gaza’s population boost
Israeli military actions and settlement growth in the West Bank caused a noticeable rise in the devastation of Palestinian infrastructure. Over 700 inhabited structures, over 300 agricultural structures, over 100 water, sanitation, and hygiene structures, and 200 livelihood structures were among the 1,697 Palestinian structures that Israeli authorities destroyed or seized throughout the West Bank between October 7, 2023, and September 16, 2024. Resources and infrastructure that are essential for survival are still being severely damaged by the conflict. There were at least 151,265 damaged structures by the third quarter of 2024. There was a serious risk to the food system’s ability to function because almost 60% of structures and 57% of agricultural land had been damaged or destroyed.
