Birth defects and miscarriages surge in Gaza amid Israeli bombings

The ongoing Israeli genocidal war in Gaza has had devastating consequences for pregnant women and their newborns.

Reports from doctors and international organisations reveal a surge in birth defects, miscarriages, and neonatal deaths as the health sector in Gaza struggles under the weight of indiscriminate bombings, displacement, and critical shortages of essential medical supplies.

Samar Hamdan, displaced from Jabaliya to Deir al Balah in April while four months pregnant, was devastated when her daughter, Noor, was born prematurely with severe congenital deformities.

“The doctors told me that my daughter has a good chance of survival, but she will live her life without hands and feet,” Hamdan was quoted as saying by the Electronic Intifada.

Doctors suspect Noor’s condition was caused by exposure to white phosphorus—a weapon banned under international law for its indiscriminate effects.

“In my third month of pregnancy, I was exposed to gasses emitted from white phosphorus, which was heavily dropped on us in northern Gaza,” Hamdan said.

White phosphorus is notorious for causing severe burns, suffocation, and respiratory damage. Its use in civilian areas, as documented extensively in Israel, violates international humanitarian law, including the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW).

“This is one of the reasons that may have caused the deformity, according to the attending doctor.”

Hamdan, like many other women in Gaza, was unable to access regular prenatal care due to the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system. “I couldn’t undergo ultrasound scans to detect such conditions before birth,” she told reporters.

Dr Hatem Edhair, head of the neonatal unit at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, reported over 170 cases of congenital deformities in newborns during the last four months of the war alone.

The deformities include underdeveloped lungs and skulls, malformations of the digestive system, and hydrocephalus, a congenital condition in which fluid builds up in the brain.

Miscarriages fueled by malnutrition

For other women, the lack of medical care and nutrition has led to tragic pregnancy outcomes.

Marwa Murtaja, a 29-year-old mother displaced to a Deir al Balah camp, lost her third child during her second month of pregnancy. She attributes this to severe malnutrition and the inability to access necessary medications.

“I was advised to take vitamins and folic acid, but stabilising medications were unavailable,” Murtaja explained.

“Our rights are being violated without any international protection for pregnant women.”

Dr Maher Kaware’, a consultant in obstetrics at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis confirms a significant rise in miscarriages and complications during the war.

His hospital now records up to 10 miscarriages daily, compared to two before the war. He points to chronic stress, repeated displacement, and malnutrition because of the genocidal Israeli attack as key factors.

The near-total collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system has left hospitals overwhelmed and under-resourced.

Facilities lack basic hygiene supplies, vaccines, and even artificial milk for newborns.

Dr Kaware’ notes that without proper maternal nutrition, many newborns are born underweight or with underdeveloped organs, increasing their chances of death.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 95% of pregnant and lactating women in Gaza suffer from food poverty, consuming only low-nutritional-value items.

These conditions, combined with the destruction of medical infrastructure, have led to a tragic surge in preventable maternal and neonatal deaths.