AOAV monitors civilian casualty figures based on English-language reports of incidents of explosive violence globally. Although the measure is consistent, it undercounts the true numbers of civilians killed and wounded, partly because media accounts in one language are inevitably incomplete. Civilian casualties were 14,024 in Gaza last year, 40 percent lower than the previous year. The AOAV said that 45,358 civilian casualties were recorded worldwide last year, down from 61,353 the year before. The country responsible for the most killed and wounded by explosive violence was Israel, marginally ahead of Russia.

Source: Taipei Times February 16, 2026 17:23 UTC