Since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023, more than 28,000 women and girls have been killed in Gaza. This is according to UN Women’s latest estimates. On average, that’s one woman or girl killed every hour in Israeli attacks—an immense human toll underscoring the gendered devastation of war.
Many of the victims were mothers, leaving behind orphaned children, fractured families, and grieving communities.
BLOCKADE DEEPENS CRISIS, PUSHES OVER A MILLION WOMEN TO THE BRINK OF STARVATION
Following the collapse of the ceasefire in March 2025, conditions in Gaza have deteriorated sharply under an intensifying blockade. The ongoing humanitarian aid shutdown—now nearly nine weeks long—has left the entire population in dire need.
Over 1 million women and girls are facing catastrophic hunger and potential famine, with food and supplies nearly exhausted. They remain trapped in a warzone, suffering forced displacement, rising maternal mortality, and no access to protection or safety.
HEALTH COLLAPSE AND UNCOUNTED DEATHS: THE HIDDEN TOLL
These death estimates are based on new methodology adopted from a 2025 Lancet report. It suggests Gaza’s fatalities have been underreported by 41%.
Due to damaged health infrastructure and broken reporting systems, many deaths are likely unrecorded. UN Women includes both direct casualties and excess deaths in its analysis to better capture the true scale of loss.
MOTHERS LOST, FAMILIES BROKEN: A HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCY
The loss of so many mothers in Gaza leaves thousands of children without caregivers, compounding the psychological trauma and displacement of war.
Every woman killed also represents a future interrupted—lost potential, lost voices, and shattered communities. This is not just a military conflict; it is a gendered emergency with long-lasting implications.
UN Women continues to partner with women-led organizations in Gaza, striving to deliver essential aid and services. But the agency warns that its resources are overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the crisis. Without immediate funding, unhindered humanitarian access, and a massive scale-up of operations, more lives will be lost.
A GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION: CEASEFIRE NOW, AID NOW
UN Women joins the UN Secretary-General in demanding:
- An immediate ceasefire
- Full humanitarian access
- Release of all hostages and arbitrarily detained persons
These are non-negotiable steps to protect lives and restore dignity to millions living under siege.
NOT JUST NUMBERS: THIS IS A CRISIS OF HUMANITY
Behind every statistic is a name, a face, and a family. More than 28,000 stories of dreams halted, of lives once ordinary now lost to extraordinary violence. The gendered impact of war in Gaza is not incidental—it is central to the conflict’s enduring harm. The international community cannot remain passive. Time is running out.
