Deaths, miscarriages and unsafe births mark three years of Israeli genocide in Gaza

Three years into the war in Gaza, Palestinian and UN data show a severe toll on women and girls, including deaths, injuries, disappearances, miscarriages, unsafe births and malnutrition.

Data released by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics on July 18, 2026, showed that 12,400 women, excluding girls, had been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Women and children also accounted for 4,700 of the 11,200 people reported missing, according to the bureau.

Deaths and injuries

UN Women estimated in an April 2026 report that more than 38,000 women and girls were killed between October 2023 and December 2025, an average of nearly 47 a day. It also said nearly 11,000 women and girls had suffered lifelong injuries.

The report said women and children accounted for nearly two-thirds of documented fatalities during the first six months of the war and warned that the reported death toll was likely an underestimate due to the collapse of health reporting systems.

Reproductive health

Health and rights organisations have reported worsening reproductive health conditions. The International Planned Parenthood Federation said in July 2024 that miscarriages had increased by at least 300% during the first nine months of the war.

Physicians for Human Rights reported 2,600 miscarriages, 220 pregnancy-related deaths and 1,460 premature births during the first half of 2025. More than 2,500 newborns also required intensive care.

Unsafe births and malnutrition

UN Women said Gaza was recording about 130 births a day in March 2025, with more than a quarter delivered by caesarean section. The deterioration of health services forced some women to give birth at home or in displacement sites.

By July 2025, 40% of pregnant and breastfeeding women were suffering from malnutrition, while about 500,000 women and girls faced the risk of famine, according to UN Women.

Miscarriages and family impact

Gaza’s Health Ministry recorded around 3,958 miscarriages between January and June 2026. The miscarriage rate reached 208.5 per 1,000 live births, compared with 64 per 1,000 in the second half of 2025.

The war has also increased the number of female-headed households. UN Women said their proportion rose from 9% before the war to 14%, with 58,600 households now headed by women.