A growing internal debate is unfolding across Israeli society regarding the true scale of losses sustained from Iran’s recent deep-strike missile attacks. Accusations have emerged that the Israeli government and military are deliberately concealing information, raising concerns about their inability to protect civilians or prevent future Iranian escalations.
According to analysts interviewed by Al Jazeera Net, the issue is not solely about the death toll but rather Israel’s systematic suppression of details regarding the damage to strategic and military targets. The reasoning behind this, they argue, is tactical: withholding sensitive data to deny Iran insights that could enhance the precision or effectiveness of future attacks.
Experts also caution that the psychological and political impact of the destruction — should it be fully disclosed — would likely erode public support for the war over time. Thus, Israel’s leadership appears committed to minimising publicised losses, both to preserve internal cohesion and to prevent mass disillusionment. Notably, the design of Israel’s infrastructure and its widespread use of shelters have played a significant role in limiting casualties.
Iranian Leadership: Israel Is Hiding the Truth
Iran’s new Revolutionary Guard commander, Mohammad Pakpour, publicly stated that Israel is concealing the true extent of its losses. In a recent interview with Iranian media, Pakpour claimed that a missile strike destroyed an entire building housing 70 Israeli occupants, a strike not acknowledged by Israeli sources.
From a military strategy standpoint, information control has become a key battlefield tool. During prolonged and multi-dimensional conflicts, the ability to control narratives becomes just as vital as battlefield success. Israel, at this stage, is tightly regulating media output, allowing only coverage that serves its strategic and political objectives, both domestically and abroad.
Controlled Disclosure: What Israel Reports — and What It Doesn’t
According to Mtanes Shehadeh, director of the Israel Studies Program at the Mada al-Carmel Center, Israel does not usually suppress reports of military or civilian casualties outright. Rather, the censorship is selective, focused on missile strikes that impact military or strategic locations.
“When rockets land in civilian areas, it is announced immediately,” Shehadeh told Al Jazeera Net. “But when they strike military zones or classified infrastructure, disclosure is withheld to prevent handing over intelligence advantages to Iran.”
He added that it is not the media that enforces this silence, but rather military censors, who have imposed strict control over all related content. The Israeli press, in this phase, has become “fully enlisted” in supporting state objectives, voluntarily complying with censorship protocols.
Not the Numbers — But the Nature of the Damage
Israeli affairs expert Mohannad Mustafa added that while full concealment of casualty numbers in an open society is difficult, details surrounding sensitive strikes — such as damage to critical infrastructure or military bases — are routinely suppressed.
“Israel’s goal is to prevent Iran from evaluating the impact of its strikes,” he explained. “If Tehran can assess which sites were hit and how effectively, they can refine their targeting for the next round.”
Israeli authorities justify this information blackout under emergency wartime laws, granting them sweeping powers to restrict media coverage and manage national morale.
However, political analyst Mohammad Ghazi Al-Jamal argues that there is deliberate understatement of both material and human losses. He pointed to previous Israeli wars on Gaza where actual casualty numbers later proved to be multiple times higher than initial reports.
“The key isn’t just how many were killed or injured, but which facilities were hit,” Al-Jamal said. “Iran has targeted critical infrastructure, including energy systems and scientific research institutions such as the Weizmann Institute — striking at the heart of Israel’s operational capability.”
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Fractures in the Israeli Home Front
The mounting toll of Iran’s missile campaign is beginning to shake public confidence in the war effort. Analysts predict that support for the government’s military decisions may erode significantly as the damage escalates.
Mohannad Mustafa describes this public sentiment as “an unprecedented shock.”
“After the initial adrenaline of the first Israeli strike, many Israelis are beginning to realise that this war carries unexpected costs. For the first time, large-scale destruction is occurring inside Israel — not just across enemy lines.”
He added that this generation of Israelis has not experienced this level of threat on their own soil. The public is beginning to question the timeline, the cost, and the credibility of the government’s war narrative.
How Israeli Infrastructure Reduces Casualty Reports
Despite the severity and scope of Iran’s strikes on central Israel, official casualty numbers remain relatively low. This discrepancy is largely due to building regulations that mandate a fortified room in each home, in addition to widespread public shelters.
Mustafa confirmed that “even when missiles land directly on residential areas, these safety structures significantly reduce fatalities.”
Moreover, the Israeli public is highly disciplined in following civil defense protocols, and the army’s early warning systems allow civilians to take shelter before impact.
Shehadeh echoed this view, adding that Israel often uses the low death toll as justification for its retaliatory actions against civilian infrastructure in Iran.
As of Monday, the Israeli Government Press Office reported that 24 Israelis had been killed and approximately 600 injured since Iran began its missile campaign on Friday. It also acknowledged that over 370 ballistic missiles were launched by Iran, with 30 striking inside Israeli territory.
