The report from academics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health in the United States provided the figures and forms part of a broader assessment projecting the potential number of excess deaths in Gaza over the next six months. Notably, the report excludes Israel from its analysis as the country's public health system is still intact.

The report indicates that should the conflict in Gaza continue or intensify, a majority of the excess deaths would be from traumatic injuries. However, thousands of deaths are also projected to result from malnutrition, infectious diseases like cholera, and a lack of access to care for chronic conditions such as diabetes.

In a worst-case scenario where the fighting escalates and substantial disease outbreaks occur, the report estimates that approximately 85,570 people may die by early August, with around 68,650 deaths linked to traumatic injuries.

Even under the assumption of a ceasefire, about 11,580 individuals could still perish during the same period, particularly if a disease outbreak exacerbates the challenges of reconstructing Gaza's sanitation and healthcare systems.

The report suggests that around 3,250 of these deaths would be due to long-term complications from trauma injuries, while 8,330 would result from other causes.

Since October 7, more than 29,000 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict, as reported by Gaza's health ministry.

The estimated number of excess deaths includes both civilians and combatants. The researchers caution that due to the unpredictable nature of war and disease outbreaks, the estimates have a wide range.

The objective of the British government-funded report is to provide clarity amidst the challenging process of accurately counting the deceased in Gaza.