![A newborn baby receives treatment under extremely limited conditions inside an incubator at Nasser Hospital, as ongoing Israeli policy severely limit access to medicine, infant formula and essential medical equipment, in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on December 18, 2025. [Abdallah F.s. Alattar - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AA-20251218-40014361-40014358-NEWBORNS_IN_GAZA_FIGHT_FOR_SURVIVAL_AMID_SEVERE_MEDICAL_SHORTAGES.jpg?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
A recent human rights report has revealed that the Israeli war on Gaza is affecting not only the immediate humanitarian situation but also the future of the Palestinian population. Birth rates have fallen to unprecedented levels, maternal and new-born deaths have sharply increased, and the reproductive healthcare system has almost completely collapsed.
The British newspaper The Guardian cited human rights reports showing that birth rates in Gaza have dropped by 41 per cent, while abortion and premature births are on the rise. The reports describe this as a policy of “reproductive violence” aimed at preventing Palestinians from having children, which under international law could be considered an act of genocide.
According to two reports by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) in cooperation with the Global Human Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, between January and June 2025, Gaza recorded approximately 2,600 abortions, 220 pregnancy-related deaths, 1,460 premature births, and more than 1,700 low-birth-weight babies.
READ: Doctors report surge in premature births and congenital defects in Gaza
Unless otherwise stated in the article above, this work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. If the image(s) bear our credit, this license also applies to them. What does that mean? For other permissions, please contact us.
Spotted an error on this page? Let us know
Latest news
See all
