Israel counts the cost of its dead and injured

The much larger number of casualties in Gaza has meant there has been little focus on Israeli deaths and injuries death toll during the Israel-Hamas War.

But the war began with the Hamas attack causing the biggest Israeli death toll in a single day and more than that number again have been killed in rocket attacks or during fighting in the subsequent two years of war.

Figures from Israel's Data Analytics Center at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS ) show the cost to Israel in terms of deaths and injuries. The psychological, economic and social cohesion effects have also been deeply damaging.

The final death toll from the Hamas attack which began the war was 1,163 deaths including 35 children, 326 women and 782 men. Among those killed were 67 foreign citizens and 357 security personnel.

Hamas has never released a list of the hostages abducted but it is believed 255 people were kidnapped on October 7, including 36 children under age 18. Only 168 returned alive, the final 20 returning after more than two years in horrendous conditions under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement. Israel is still trying to get 13 bodies returned.