American officials warned of the consequences of statistics in underestimating the extent of the disaster witnessed by the Strip

American officials suggested that the death toll in the Gaza Strip may be much higher than the more than 10,000 cases reported by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the Strip, noting that doubts about the integrity of the statistics issued by the health authorities in the Hamas-run Strip may reduce the number of deaths in the Gaza Strip. The scale of the humanitarian disaster, according to what was reported by the Wall Street Journal.

In a session before a US House of Representatives committee on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf warned that the announced numbers were less than the truth, stressing, “We believe they are very high,” according to what the American newspaper reported in her words.

She added that in times of war it is difficult to obtain an accurate assessment, "We will not know until the weapons fall silent."

During a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Lev acknowledged that Hamas is “particularly adept” at spreading propaganda and disinformation via social media, but said that based on the feedback they are receiving from a variety of individuals and partners on the ground, “it is "It is very likely that the number will be higher than it is now."

Leaf pointed out that health officials in Gaza do not separate the numbers of civilians and militants killed, explaining that it is difficult to know the true number of deaths as long as the fighting continues, according to what was reported by the Associated Press.

Health authorities in Gaza say that more than 10,800 people were killed there, most of them women and children, following the surprise attack launched by Hamas on Israel, which killed more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians.