GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director-General of the Health Ministry in Gaza, revealed a significant rise in miscarriage cases alongside a sharp 40% drop in new births compared to last year, marking a dire indicator of the worsening health and humanitarian situation in the Strip.
Al-Bursh explained on Sunday that the number of monthly births has declined from around 26,000 to just 17,000, mainly due to the harsh living conditions faced by pregnant women.
He noted that low birth weights have become widespread in Gaza, attributing the trend to maternal malnutrition and the Israeli blockade on vital nutritional supplements, directly impacting the health of unborn babies and newborns.
Al-Bursh added that Israeli forces deliberately targeted fertility centers. The bombing of the Al-Basma Center, for instance, destroyed nitrogen storage and the complete loss of nearly 4,000 fertilized embryos, a devastating blow to reproductive health in Gaza.
This comes as part of the Israeli genocidal war against the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, with full US and European backing. The campaign has involved mass killing, starvation, destruction, forced displacement, and arbitrary detention, all in defiance of international appeals and International Court of Justice orders.
The genocide has resulted in more than 239,000 Palestinians killed or injured, the majority of whom are women and children, over 11,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and famine claiming the lives of many, mostly children, on top of widespread destruction that has erased much of Gaza’s urban landscape.
A ceasefire agreement between Palestinian factions and Israel went into effect on October 10, but the long-term humanitarian and health consequences of the war continue to deepen by the day.
