DayofPal—More than 12,000 Palestinian women have been killed during Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza since October 2023, including over 9,000 mothers, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs on International Women’s Day.
The ministry said Palestinian women are marking the global occasion while enduring one of the most severe humanitarian catastrophes in modern history, caused by the continuing Israeli military campaign that has devastated Gaza’s population and infrastructure.
The data reveals the profound social impact of the war on Palestinian families. Since October 2023, 21,193 women have been widowed, while 22,426 fathers have been killed, leaving thousands of families without their primary breadwinners.
In many cases, women have been forced to assume the sole responsibility of supporting their households amid widespread economic collapse.
The destruction of families has also been extensive. Authorities report that over 6,020 families have been wiped out with only one surviving member, often a woman or child, while 2,700 families have been completely exterminated and removed from the civil registry.
Displacement has further intensified the humanitarian crisis. More than 350,000 families have lost their homes, and over two million people have been internally displaced, including more than half a million women and nearly one million children, many of whom are living in overcrowded shelters with limited access to food, water, and medical care.
Health conditions for women have also deteriorated sharply. Estimates suggest that around 107,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women face serious health risks due to the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system and the severe shortage of medical services.
Additionally, more than 12,000 miscarriages have been recorded during the war, largely attributed to malnutrition and the lack of proper healthcare.
The war has also left 56,348 children orphaned, having lost one or both parents, placing further caregiving burdens on surviving family members, particularly women.
Humanitarian conditions continue to worsen across the Gaza Strip.
Reports indicate 460 deaths from starvation and malnutrition, including women and children, while overcrowded shelters and displacement camps have led to more than 2.1 million cases of infectious diseases.
At the same time, around 650,000 children are at risk of death due to malnutrition, according to available estimates.
Rights organizations say the figures reflect a broader pattern of civilian casualties. Statistics show that over 55 percent of those killed are women, children, and elderly people.
Human rights groups have also raised concerns about systematic targeting of Palestinian women and girls.
In 2025, UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem presented findings describing the situation as a form of “femicide-genocide,” arguing that the killing of women of childbearing age threatens the continuity of Palestinian families.
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reported that Israeli attacks have killed an average of 21.3 Palestinian women per day, roughly one woman every hour, through bombardment across the Gaza Strip.
The group said the figure does not include women who died due to starvation, siege conditions, or the collapse of medical services.
Human rights organization Al-Haq also highlighted the impact of the war on Palestinian women, stating that their lives continue to be shaped by the overlapping realities of occupation, displacement, and ongoing attacks.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=72830
