Iran, Gaza face challenges in accurately documenting civilian casualties

Here is a rewritten version of the article in a neutral newsroom style:

Western Media’s Treatment of Palestinian Deaths Raises Questions.

A discrepancy exists between how Western media reports on deaths in Iran versus those in Gaza. For two and a half years, Western media has scrutinized every dead Palestinian, questioning the circumstances surrounding their deaths. In contrast, when it comes to Iranian deaths, the reporting is more swift.

The Gaza Health Ministry reports that at least 70,117 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began. However, this figure is considered an undercount by many experts. A July 2024 study published in The Lancet estimated the actual number of deaths to be over 186,000.

In Iran, people are taking to the streets to resist the regime and are being killed as they do so. Western media outlets have reported on this story, with estimates suggesting that at least 12,000 people may have been killed.

The difference in reporting between Gaza and Iran is striking. In both cases, the sources of information vary. For Gaza, it is the Gaza Health Ministry, while for Iran, it is diaspora organizations such as HRANA. The Western media outlets report on these stories with varying levels of caveats and qualifications.

In the case of Gaza, Western media has questioned the circumstances surrounding Palestinian deaths, including whether they were combatants or civilians. In contrast, when it comes to Iranian deaths, the reporting is more immediate, without the same level of scrutiny.

The discrepancy in reporting raises questions about how Western media approaches different conflicts and their respective death tolls.

Source: Al Jazeera