The death toll from the Israeli occupation on both sides since 1970 is not easy to calculate, as different sources may have different definitions, methods, and data. However, based on the web search results that I found, I can provide some estimates and ranges for the number of fatalities.
According to B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, between December 9th 1987 and April 30th 2021, the conflict claimed 13,969 lives, of which 87% were Palestinian³. The recent violence in May 2021 adds another 256 deaths, bringing the total to over 14,000³.
According to ProCon.org, a nonpartisan research organization, between September 29th 2000 and July 7th 2014, the conflict resulted in 9,480 deaths, of which 78% were Palestinian⁴.
According to Wikipedia, the War of Attrition (1967-1970) caused at least 100 Palestinian deaths². The Black September in Jordan (1970-1971) caused about 3,400 Palestinian deaths². The Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) caused thousands of Palestinian deaths². The First Intifada (1987-1993) caused about 2,000 Palestinian deaths and 277 Israeli deaths². The Second Intifada (2000-2005) caused about 3,000 Palestinian deaths and 1,000 Israeli deaths². The Gaza War (2008-2009) caused about 1,400 Palestinian deaths and 13 Israeli deaths². The Gaza War (2014) caused about 2,200 Palestinian deaths and 73 Israeli deaths². The Gaza War (2021) caused about 250 Palestinian deaths and 13 Israeli deaths².
Based on these sources, the approximate death toll from the Israeli occupation on both sides since 1970 is:
- Palestinian: between 24,000 and 28,000.
- Israeli: between 1,500 and 2,000.
These numbers are only estimates and may not reflect the full extent of the human suffering and loss caused by the conflict. They also do not include the casualties from other actors involved in the conflict, such as Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and others.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 10/10/2023 (1) The Israel-Palestine conflict has claimed 14,000 lives since 1987. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/05/18/the-israel-palestine-conflict-has-claimed-14000-lives-since-1987. (2) Deaths in the Conflict - Israeli-Palestinian - ProCon.org. https://israelipalestinian.procon.org/deaths-in-the-conflict/. (3) Palestinian casualties of war - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_casualties_of_war. (4) History of the Israeli-Palestine conflict: A chronology - The .... https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/israel-palestine-conflict-timeline-history-explained/. (5) Israeli–Lebanese conflict - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Lebanese_conflict.
I don't see how any of this is relevant. The current conflict was started by Hamas and the Palestinians. Whatever happens to them afterwards is their own fault.
I feel very bad for the few innocent Palestinians (mostly the children) who may be collateral damage, but war is brutal and a nation can't allow a tiger to sleep next to the crib... especially not one that just ate one of your children.