GAZA STRIP – Israel's war in Gaza has shattered many Palestinian women's dreams of motherhood. Nuha Abu Lebda, a woman in Gaza, has lost three pregnancies since the war began in October 2023. She miscarried due to airstrikes, displacement, lack of clean water, and malnutrition.
“When I lost the child, I was exhausted. I woke up hoping the baby was still inside me, but the dream of 10 years had vanished,” Abu Lebda told Al Jazeera. She sold her gold and most of her belongings to buy heparin, a blood-thinning drug used in pregnancy, but still could not keep the baby.
Health officials in Gaza say they are treating a surge in miscarriages directly linked to the war and Israeli blockade. Gaza's collapsed health system, combined with malnutrition and psychological stress, are cited as key factors.
Dr. Yasser Saadeddine, head of obstetrics at al-Awda Hospital in Deir el-Balah, said about 70% of pregnancy losses his team treats are war- and blockade-related.
Mai Zaqout lost her daughter because she could not access necessary medical care. “I lost my daughter in childbirth. The baby had been dead in my womb for a month, but I could not deliver because of a lack of medical resources,” she said. This tragedy came soon after her husband was killed.
Sara al-Awad, eight months pregnant, experienced severe bleeding caused by heavy explosions in Tal al-Hawa, Gaza City. Her placenta detached. No ambulance could reach her; her brother took her to al-Quds Hospital in a wheelchair. She needed an emergency caesarean section, and her son Muhammad was born weighing only 1.1 kg, requiring an incubator. The family was scattered and could only contact medical staff via messages. A ceasefire allowed Muhammad to leave the incubator after 37 days.
Iman Badah lost her only son after waiting six years. “I gave birth prematurely while fleeing,” she said. Nuha Salameh was pregnant with twins but lost both. “The doctor said if conditions had been normal, we could have saved the babies,” she recounted.
Nidaa Seyam had her second miscarriage in the war, losing a baby girl. Doctors said the cause was psychological stress and malnutrition. She had been trapped under airstrikes and inhaled toxic fumes.
Palestinian doctors report a significant rise in miscarriages, stillbirths, preterm births, and dangerous pregnancy complications due to the war, blockade, malnutrition, poor sanitation, repeated displacement, and shortages of medicine and equipment. Many women have lost their homes, medical records, and the ability to attend routine checkups. Even after fighting subsided, the losses continued.
