- Gaza ministry says over 9,000 mothers among dead
After 1,000 days of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, women and girls have borne an immense human toll through killings, injuries, widowhood, displacement, loss of family members and the collapse of health care.
UN Women said more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza between October 2023 and December 2025, while around 11,000 suffered injuries resulting in permanent disabilities.
The impact of the war extends far beyond direct casualties. Thousands of women have become sole providers for families after losing their primary breadwinners, while many others live in overcrowded displacement camps lacking privacy, clean water and basic health services amid severe shortages of food and medicine.
Killed and disabled
In an analysis published on April 17, 2026, titled "The cost of war in Gaza on women and girls," UN Women said the toll included more than 22,000 women and 16,000 girls, averaging at least 47 women and girls killed each day.
Around 11,000 women and girls suffered life-changing injuries resulting in permanent disabilities, according to the report.
More than 12,500 Palestinian women have been killed since the start of the war, including more than 9,000 mothers, leaving tens of thousands of children without maternal care, Gaza's Ministry of Social Development said on March 8.
Widows and breadwinners
The number of widows in Gaza has risen to 28,224 from 22,596 before the war, according to the Ministry of Social Development.
Gaza governorate accounts for 40.8% of all widows, followed by North Gaza with 22.5%, highlighting the need for urgent humanitarian and social intervention.
Widows between the ages of 18 and 45 make up 64% of the total, while underage and elderly widows require legal protection, psychological and social support, and continuous health care, the ministry said.
Many widows have become sole providers for their families amid collapsing employment opportunities, soaring prices and worsening economic conditions.
No privacy in displacement
With widespread Israeli bombardment and the destruction of homes, thousands of women have been repeatedly displaced and now live in tents erected on rubble, in school and hospital yards, and along roadsides.
Displacement sites lack basic privacy, clean water and health services, while women endure harsh winter cold, extreme summer heat, continued bombardment and insecurity.
Shortages and soaring prices of hygiene products have also left women and girls facing "period poverty," forcing some to use cloth or worn-out clothing after sanitary pads became unavailable or unaffordable.
According to UN Women, period poverty refers to the inability to access or afford menstrual products, sanitation facilities, hygiene services and menstrual health education.
Pregnancy and miscarriage
Pregnant women face worsening conditions because of the collapse of Gaza's health system and severe shortages of medicine and medical supplies.
More than 12,000 miscarriages have been recorded since the start of the war due to acute malnutrition and the collapse of health services, the Ministry of Social Development said in March.
Many women are forced to give birth without adequate medical staff, sterilization equipment or specialized care, putting the lives of mothers and newborns at risk.
Families across Gaza face deepening poverty and mass unemployment after economic activity largely collapsed, while hospitals struggle to provide treatment because of damaged facilities, shortages of medicine and dwindling medical staff, leaving pregnant women, patients and people with chronic diseases without adequate care.
Deprived of treatment
In October 2025, Gaza's Health Ministry said women had been deprived of breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment because of the blockade and the destruction of primary health care centers, examination departments and diagnostic imaging units.
The ministry said the destruction of those facilities prevented women from accessing early detection and treatment services.
Women diagnosed with breast cancer before or during the war have been unable to access specialized treatment or follow-up care, it added.
Hospitals and health facilities still operating in Gaza continue to provide only limited services after bombardment, destruction and shortages of medicine, medical supplies and equipment forced many departments out of service.
After 1,000 days of genocide, humanitarian agencies say women and girls remain among Gaza's most vulnerable groups, facing growing needs for protection, health care, psychological support and economic assistance.
Since Oct. 8, 2023, Israel has waged a genocide in Gaza, killing around 73,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 173,000, while destroying about 90% of the enclave's civilian infrastructure.
