Shockingly, 47 women and girls are being killed in Gaza every single day. A recent UN report mentioned more than 38,000 women slaughtered by Israel during its heinous genocide. Previously, in 2024, the health ministry in Gaza estimated that 70% of those killed in the war were women and children.
Moreover, the impact on Gaza’s healthcare sector is so severe that death figures are hard to evaluate in real terms. This demonstrates the severity of the gender-based violence that Gaza’s residents are enduring, even after the so-called “ceasefire” in 2026.
Impact of Israel’s Genocide on Women and Girls
The UN Women’s report also documents almost 19,000 injured women and girls who have been permanently disabled from their injuries. The Head of Humanitarian Action at UN Women said: “This is the highest percentage in any conflict to date and the highest percentage of women killed in any conflict ever recorded.”
Several medical professionals who have practiced within the Gaza Strip have reported that most of the breastfeeding mothers have not been able to provide breastmilk for their child due to malnutrition, the loss of a loved one, or lack of medical care.
By early 2026, the official figures from the Ministry of Health in Gaza estimate more than 50,000 women have been killed, but this is most likely an underestimation due to the number of people left under rubble.
There is also credible evidence of sexual violence during the genocide. For instance, in a statement issued in 2024, the United Nations’ Special Representative regarding sexual violence during genocide called for an objective investigation of “credible allegations of sexual assault” of Palestinians in detention, including females being detained by the Israelis.
Maternal Health and Obstetric Care
Pregnant women and new mothers in Gaza are facing a severe maternal healthcare crisis. Hospital infrastructure continues to be bombed by Israeli airstrikes, leaving fewer resources available for providing maternal care. Maternal healthcare resources have also been severely limited, as well as the ability to respond to maternal emergencies.
Women who are giving birth to children are being exposed to an increased risk of maternal death. They are giving birth at healthcare centres that have been partially abolished and are unable to provide surgical intervention. Moreover, some hospitals that are still left lack basic tools such as anaesthesia. The World Health Organisation has been reporting that disruption to the delivery of healthcare and access to medical supplies is directly related to the peak hostilities in northern Gaza.
The UNFPA refers to the Gaza Strip as the most dangerous place in the world for a woman to give birth, due to the increase in the rate of infant mortality. It is reported that an average of 15 women give birth to children outside the hospital per week with no assistance, and if a woman can give birth in a hospital:
- C-sections were being performed without anaesthesia in many places, as reported by MSF staff from field hospitals.
- There was an increase in maternal deaths due to hospital closures because of a lack of electricity, surgical services, and staff.
Women’s Right to Food, Water, and Shelter in Gaza
The sieges and destruction of the infrastructure create immense problems for women in particular. Women and men have been forced into shelters with abysmal sanitation. Both UNFPA and UN Women have reported the lack of sanitary products, privacy, and safe water for washing in many displacement sites. These are not insignificant aspects, as for protracted displacement, lack of sanitation and hygiene infrastructure leads to illnesses, poor health, and increased vulnerability.
Additionally, numerous impacts have also occurred due to food insecurity. Pregnant and lactating women have been among the first affected by severe malnutrition. Nearly 790,000 women and girls are living with crisis and catastrophic levels of food insecurity, according to UN Women.
Psychological services are also lacking since most people in Gaza suffer from trauma, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Women who have lost their husbands and multiple members of their families are experiencing major problems with their mental health.
Data Does Not Reveal the Suffering and Trauma of Gaza Women
A young Palestinian girl, Mona, described her mother and sister dying instantaneously due to a bomb, and she found “pieces of their bodies“. She reported herself being completely numb, and stories such as hers occurred throughout Gaza. Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl, was shot 335 times by an Israeli tank. There are a lot of horrific stories of Gaza women.
In a nutshell, women’s rights in Gaza, broadly construed, have been assaulted not just by violence but by the destruction of mechanisms of health care, legal, and other services. This is the starting point for any objective assessment of this unprecedented genocide. It must be stopped before the atrocities of Israel and its allies start to engulf the entire world.
