Tracing the origins of the 400,000 ‘disappeared’ figure in Gaza attributed to a Harvard study

A new alarming figure estimating the accumulated Palestinian death toll in Gaza has sparked intense debate in recent days. A supposed assessment of the number of Palestinians "disappeared" has circulated widely in the news and online, suggesting that the actual death toll in the besieged enclave after 20 months of Israel's military offensive may be significantly understated. The figure is reportedly drawn from a study by Harvard University and based on data from the Israeli army, estimating that around 400,000 Palestinians are unaccounted for in Gaza. The claim has been widely shared on social media, including by the Palestinian ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, Abdel Karim Ewaida and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan. Missed this? In Gaza: The shadow of the missing Incorrect interpretationsThe exact figure of "disappeared" Palestinians...