Over the past 29 months, Israel’s ongoing attacks in Gaza have had devastating, multilayered effects on Palestinian women and girls, pushing them to the brink of survival. Amnesty International reports that deliberate restrictions on food, medicine, medical equipment, shelter, and humanitarian aid, combined with mass displacement and repeated bombardments, have led to extreme physical and mental suffering. Women are forced to give birth in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, endure pregnancy and postpartum recovery amid malnutrition, disease, and trauma, and face interrupted treatment for chronic illnesses including cancer.
Healthcare services in Gaza have collapsed under the strain. Maternal and neonatal care is severely compromised, with nearly 60% of health facilities non-functional and essential medicines in critically short supply. Neonatal units operate at 150–170% capacity, with limited incubators and often inadequate medical equipment. Medical personnel report rising maternal and neonatal complications, including preterm births, malnutrition, infections, anemia, and post-partum depression. The destruction of facilities such as the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital has further diminished access to specialized care, including cancer treatment.
Women living in displacement sites struggle to secure adequate nutrition, clean water, heating, and hygiene products, with pregnant and breastfeeding women especially affected. Many have lost family members, homes, and access to safe shelter, compounding trauma and emotional distress. Some cancer patients have endured multiple displacements while their chemotherapy or radiation treatment has been delayed due to supply shortages and restrictions on medical evacuations. Israeli-imposed limitations on crossings and aid deliveries exacerbate these hardships, leaving thousands of women without life-saving care.
The systematic denial of conditions necessary for women to live and give birth safely constitutes a deliberate targeting of women and girls, according to Amnesty International. The organization highlights that women are central to holding families and communities together under extreme conditions, yet face structural violence, deprivation, and ongoing threats to life. Amnesty calls on states to exert diplomatic and economic pressure on Israel, lift the blockade, ensure humanitarian access, and protect women’s economic, social, and reproductive rights, while supporting Gaza’s women-led organizations to secure a future of dignity and safety.
