The US defence secretary was asked in Congress today how many women and children had been killed by Israel since 7 October.

“It is over 25,000,” Lloyd Austin said.

The Pentagon later added: “We cannot independently verify these Gaza casualty figures.”

But his number is actually a little higher than the women and children breakdown given by officials in Gaza.

And the fact it was said by the American defence secretary is hugely significant.

Middle East latest: US says ‘too many Palestinians died today’

Intentionally or otherwise it adds pressure on Israel as ceasefire talks drag on and are repeatedly stalled.

Throughout this conflict, doubt has been cast by the American administration over the accuracy of the figures emerging from Gaza.

In alignment with the Israelis and many Western governments, they have said it is wrong to trust the Gaza health ministry figures because it is run by Hamas.

At points, there have been moments of deviation from that assertion, with different officials from different Western countries at times saying the numbers could be accurate.

But the overriding implication had been that the numbers were wrong and inflated.

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The latest Hamas numbers, from their health ministry, say about 30,000 people have died.

Hamas does not break down the deaths between combatants and non-combatants.

The latest health ministry figures, from 28 February, say 12,300 children have been killed and 8,400 women, which comes to 20,700.

On Mr Austin’s number of more than 25,000, and assuming the known total dead is about 30,000, then that leaves 5,000 men dead.

Before this war, Hamas is believed to have had about 30,000 fighters.

So all this tells us two things.

First, Israel is nowhere near close to its stated aim of totally destroying Hamas.

Second, even if you conclude all the men are combatants – an absurd conclusion but one that has been drawn at points in this conflict – then more than 80% of those killed are civilians.

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All in a war prompted by the Hamas attack last October, prosecuted by Israel and enabled by America.

I asked the State Department spokesman how this could be seen as anything other than a complete disaster and a total failure of American leadership.

Matt Miller avoided the question and repeated the US government line that the number of civilians killed is “far too high”.

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