The numbers haven't actually changed. Before they were just reporting unverified numbers, the lower numbers are those that are verified with names attached. We won’t know the actual number and demographics of those killed in Gaza until they are able to count and verify the identity of all the dead bodies. Once that is done, we will likely find the numbers very close to what the Gaza Health Ministry reports, as has been the case in past conflicts.
The UN changed a graphic from 34,735 reported fatalities, of which 9,500 were women and 14,500 were children, to 34,844 reported fatalities, of which 24,686 have been positively identified, with 4,959 being women and 7,797 being children. Since women and especially children in Gaza are less likely to have birth certificates or some type of government ID, this would explain why they are underrepresented in the verified count of fatalities for now.
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