The retired general told a community meeting in southern Israel earlier this week that more than 10% of Gaza's 2.2 million population had been killed or injured – "more than 200,000 people". That estimate is notable as it is close to the current figures provided by Gaza's health ministry, which Israeli officials have frequently dismissed as Hamas propaganda, though the ministry figures have been deemed reliable by international humanitarian agencies.
The Gaza ministry statistics do not distinguish between civilians and fighters, but leaked Israeli military intelligence data on casualties until May this year suggested that more than 80% of the dead were civilians.
In a quote that was not on the recording but was cited by Ynet, Halevi appeared to suggest that the main importance of Israel's military lawyers was to convince the outside world of the legality of the IDF's actions.
"There are legal advisers who say: We will know how to defend this legally in the world, and this is very important for the state of Israel," he is quoted as saying.
The IDF was approached for comment on Halevi's remarks about the death toll and the role of military lawyers, but had not replied by Friday evening.
Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights lawyer, said Halevi's remarks "confirm that the legal advisers serve as rubber stamps".