Gaza: More than 38,000 women and girls killed between October 2023 and December 2025
Gaza City, Gaza (PANA) - More than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza between October 2023 and December 2025, according to UN Women. Six months after the ceasefire, as international attention shifts away from the Palestinian enclave, the UN agency warns of the continued extreme danger for women and girls in Gaza.
In this context, the latest data published by the agency sheds further light on the scale of the human toll. The detailed report shows that more than 22,000 women and 16,000 girls were killed in Gaza between October 2023 and December 2025, representing an average of at least 47 women and girls killed per day.
Nearly 11,000 women and girls also suffered injuries resulting in lifelong disabilities. In total, more than 71,200 people were killed during this period in the enclave.
"These figures likely underestimate the true toll. Many bodies remain buried under the rubble and the collapse of health and reporting systems has significantly limited the ability to record all deaths," the agency clarified.
Beyond the single assessment concerning women and girls, the report puts into perspective the overall scale of human losses and the persistence of violence.
According to UN Women, deaths among women and girls continued despite the ceasefire agreed upon in early October 2025. These deaths occurred in a context of widespread violence against women and girls during the two years of war.
Beyond the continued deaths despite the ceasefire, the UN agency also highlights the broader structural consequences of the war on women and girls. According to UN Women, "the impact of the war has been devastating".
“The war has upended the structure of families, with tens of thousands of households now headed by women. Many face economic hardship and increased risks, while also bearing the burden of care and survival,” said Moez Doraid, UN Women Regional Director for Arab States, in a statement.
In addition to these upheavals in family structures, there is another major consequence of the conflict. According to UN Women, the war in Gaza has inflicted "systemic reproductive violence" by severely limiting women's and girls' access to sexual and reproductive health services.
At least 927 attacks targeted health facilities and ambulances, including major maternity wards and fertility clinics, between October 2023 and October 2025. By March 2025, the UN estimated that there were 130 births a day in Gaza, more than a quarter of them by cesarean section, putting extraordinary pressure on an already degraded health system.
Under these conditions, women were forced to give birth at home in dangerous circumstances. Despite the ceasefire, approximately 15 births per week reportedly take place outside of hospitals, often without skilled assistance.
“The damage to infrastructure has made it almost impossible for women to access essential services. This situation is worsening due to the recent military escalation in the Middle East. The closure of border crossings and restrictions on humanitarian access are further limiting life-saving aid,” Sofia Calltorp, the agency’s humanitarian operations manager, told reporters in Geneva.
Beyond the health crisis, the conflict also has major consequences for other essential services. The conflict in Gaza has devastated educational infrastructure. According to the UN agency, more than 97% of schools have been damaged and hundreds have been repurposed as shelters, directly affecting more than 328,000 girls and 330,000 boys.
These destructions have direct repercussions on children's life trajectories. "The inability to go to school has long-term consequences, including early and forced marriages for girls, as well as child labour."
For women, the destruction of schools also eliminates a major source of employment, as most teachers in Gaza are women. More broadly, the ongoing collapse of the education system threatens to perpetuate cycles of vulnerability and reduce women's participation in public and economic life.
“We must see the ceasefire fully implemented, with respect for international law and the protection of women and girls, as well as unimpeded humanitarian aid. Women and girls must be at the heart of the response and recovery, and participate in peacebuilding and reconstruction,” concluded Ms. Doraid.
-0- PANA MA 18April2026
