Births in Gaza Drop by 41% Due to War

SadaNews - New reports have revealed the impact of the war in Gaza on pregnant women, children, and maternal services, indicating a 41 percent decrease in births, an increase in maternal mortality rates, and occurrences of abortion, in addition to newborn deaths and a rise in premature births, according to a report by The Guardian.

Reports Reveal Major Health Damages

The organization "Physicians for Human Rights" issued a report in collaboration with the Global Human Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School and "Physicians for Human Rights-Israel", documenting that the war has resulted in high numbers of deaths among mothers and newborns, and births occurring under dangerous conditions, in addition to the systematic destruction of the health system.

Researchers explained that these damages "indicate a deliberate intention to prevent births among Palestinians, meeting the legal criteria for genocide under the Genocide Convention."

Between January and June 2025, reports documented 2,600 cases of abortion, 220 pregnancy-related deaths, 1,460 premature births, more than 1,700 low birth-weight newborns, and over 2,500 newborns requiring intensive care.

Lama Bakri from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel stated: "These numbers represent a shocking decline compared to what was prevalent before the war, and are a direct outcome of the shocks of war, hunger, displacement, and the collapse of maternal healthcare."

Collapse of the Health System in Gaza

The health system in Gaza has undergone systematic destruction since October 2023. Israeli military operations have targeted hospitals, ambulances, and medical personnel, while the conditions of siege and continuous bombings have severed supply lines and hindered movement between facilities, accelerating the collapse of public health in the region.

Despite Israel's claims that "Hamas" used hospitals to shelter its fighters, these assertions have not been supported by clear evidence.

Women Face Impossible Choices

Mother in Gaza have been forced to make difficult decisions, often at the expense of their health and safety, in order to provide for their children's basic needs. With the collapse of maternity and neonatal services due to fuel shortages, lack of medical supplies, mass displacement, and continuous bombings, living in overcrowded tents has become the only available option.

Lama stated: "These conditions threaten mothers, their children, fetuses, and infants, and will leave lasting impacts stretching across generations, permanently altering families."

Shocking Statistics on Mothers and Children

UN Women estimates indicate the deaths of over 6,000 mothers during the first six months of the war, averaging one mother every hour, while the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that about 150,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women have been forcibly displaced.

According to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 391 women underwent amputations of upper or lower limbs since October 7, out of a total of 4,500 cases.

The early months of 2025 recorded only 17,000 births, representing a 41 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2022.

Lama noted: "What is shown in this report are the women themselves, their voices, choices, experiences, facing impossible challenges that statistics alone cannot reflect."

Stories from the War

In this context, Msara Khames Al-Sakafi, 32 years old from Rafah, said: "I was shocked when I learned of my pregnancy. During the pregnancy, I suffered greatly; I spent more time in hospitals than in the camp, endured severe pain and infections, experienced vitamin and food shortages... I would suddenly stop the delivery due to the intense fear of air strikes."

As for Sara Al-Dawr, 26 years old from Jabalia, who suffers from heart problems, she underwent surgery post-delivery due to infection and was transferred under bombings to her late sister's home, who was killed along with her children and 35 family members.

She said: "It was extremely difficult, and I suffered every time I was forced to move due to my health condition."

Attack on Fertility Center in Gaza

Moreover, researchers noted the Israeli attack in December 2023 on the "Al-Basma" center, the largest fertility center in Gaza, which destroyed approximately 5,000 reproductive samples and halted between 70 and 100 artificial insemination processes monthly. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that the attack was deliberate and targeted the reproductive capacity of Palestinians, representing a serious violation of international law.

Reports indicate that this type of reproductive violence constitutes a violation of international law, and when systematically implemented with the intent to destroy, it falls under the definition of genocide according to the Genocide Convention.

More than 100 Children Killed Since Ceasefire

Despite the ceasefire that began last October, child fatalities continue. James Elder, a spokesperson for UNICEF, stated: "More than 100 children have been killed since the ceasefire, including six children who died from hypothermia this winter."

Life in Gaza remains perilous, as aerial bombardments and shelling have decreased but not stopped entirely, and recent storms have exacerbated the crisis, causing fatalities and flooding in overcrowded displacement camps.