The State of Palestine has raised an urgent alarm over the severe collapse of reproductive healthcare in the Gaza Strip during the first half of 2025, highlighting the devastating effects of ongoing conflict and blockade on women and children.
Officials report that thousands of pregnant women are facing starvation and critical shortages in medical care, as the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate under Israel’s prolonged military actions and siege.
According to health authorities, an estimated 11,000 pregnant women are at risk of severe malnutrition, largely due to the lack of food, medical supplies, fuel, and personnel.
This has led to tragic outcomes, including over 2,600 miscarriages, 1,556 premature births, 220 stillbirths, and 67 cases of congenital malformations. Alarmingly, 1,600 babies were born underweight, and more than 2,500 newborns have required intensive care—far beyond the capacity of Gaza’s strained health facilities.
Most deliveries now take place in makeshift settings such as tents, destroyed homes, or even streets, with constant airstrikes by Israeli forces further endangering expectant mothers and infants. The conditions fall far short of basic humanitarian standards.
The Palestinian leadership blames the Israeli occupation and its blockade policy for creating this man-made crisis, describing the use of starvation and restricted medical access as a violation of international law and a crime against humanity. The State of Palestine also calls out the broader international community and complicit states for failing to prevent or stop this unfolding tragedy.
While acknowledging countries that have resorted to airdrops of aid into Gaza, Palestinian authorities stress that only unrestricted ground access for humanitarian relief will address the scale of the crisis. They urge immediate opening of all crossings and full access for United Nations agencies to deliver baby formula, food, and critical supplies.
Since the escalation of violence in October 2023, over 60,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, with the toll climbing daily. In this context, Ambassador Tamer Almassri has issued a heartfelt plea to the global community to act decisively and restore the basic rights of Gazans—including the right to life, dignity, and health.
The statement concludes by reaffirming the Palestinian people’s determination to resist occupation and advocate for justice until Gaza is freed from siege and fear.
