A senior Israeli official has called the high number of Palestinians killed in Gaza “part of the consequences of war”, The Times of Israel reports.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the official claimed: “I can assure you that we’re doing everything in our power to reduce civilian casualties. But this is part of the consequences of war.”

Senior military officials have claimed that “approximately two civilians have been killed for every dead Hamas fighter in the Gaza Strip”, the report added.

The high-tech mapping software used by Israel incorporates cellphone and other signals, aerial surveillance and word from local sources, as well as AI, to maintain a constantly updating map showing population concentrations across the territory.