Recently, the United Nations published data detailing the impact of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. According to the report, the death toll was 34,735, including at least 24,000 civilians. Just a couple of days later, the UN silently updated its data, reporting about 50% fewer civilian deaths, or about 13,000 civilians. 

Every civilian death is tragic, which is why it matters whenever the tallying of civilian deaths is inflated. As West Point urban warfare expert John Spencer noted, “The UN numbers include every death in Palestine no matter what the cause was. Every natural death, missing person, anyone killed by Hamas.”  

The UN’s silent update demonstrates how unreliable data from Hamas is. It should not be trusted. This is just another in a long list of examples of how the internet’s ever-editable nature makes telling the truth increasingly optional for institutions like the UN.   

As Spencer said, “Truth still does have a place in our media.” At least it should.