Israel revises down the number of those killed by Hamas in the 7 October attacks

Israel's foreign ministry has released updated casualty figures - but failed to give a reason why.

A ministry spokesperson said the death toll from the 7 October Hamas attack in southern Israel had been revised to about 1200 from a previous government estimate of 1400.

"Around 1200 is the official number of victims of the October 7 massacre," spokesperson Lior Haiat said in a written statement.

Haiat said the figure had been updated on Thursday. He did not provide a reason for the revision.

The death count, which includes foreigners, "is not a final number. It (is) an updated estimate. It might change when (they) identify all the bodies," Haiat said.

- Reuters