In addition to the occupation's use of internationally banned weapons that affect the health of both pregnant women and newborns, the crisis is exacerbated by severe malnutrition, a lack of medical care, and a shortage of medicines.
Hospitals on the verge of collapse are recording shocking cases of fetuses suffering from serious birth defects, amid a lack of screening and imaging equipment. Fears are growing that this phenomenon could turn into a protracted crisis affecting entire generations, given the ongoing war, blockade, and collapse of the healthcare system.
Deformities of "unprecedented" proportions
Medical sources reported a sharp increase in birth defects since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, attributing the cause to the inhalation of toxic gases and radiation resulting from the bombing.
According to Dr. Mohammed Abu Afash, director of medical relief in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, the rate of fetal deformities in Gaza has exceeded 25%, a rate he described as "high, dangerous, and unprecedented." He noted that shocking cases have been recorded, including a fetus born with half a skull, and other cases in which children suffer from eye and respiratory problems, lack of limbs, as well as miscarriages in the first months of life, or premature births.
Abu Afash warned of a grave danger threatening the lives of at least 150,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip, due to their exposure to toxic gases and immune deficiency. He also pointed to the lack of testing equipment necessary for early detection of congenital malformations, following the destruction of clinics and laboratories and the ban on the entry of medical supplies.
For his part, Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, Director General of Hospitals in Gaza, confirmed that cases of fetal deformities have exceeded normal levels, recording approximately 200 cases per 1,000 births, compared to the normal rate set by the World Health Organization, which is only 40 cases.
Ministry of Health data also indicates that more than 55,000 babies were born in the past 18 months, including 144 cases of congenital deformities, according to Munir al-Barash, Director General of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip. He believes these cases are likely linked to Israel's use of new, field-tested weapons against civilians, including children and women.
On January 28, 2025, Human Rights Watch published a report warning of the grave risks facing pregnant women in Gaza amid the ongoing genocide and the destruction of the health system, citing conditions that threaten pregnancy, childbirth, and the lives of newborns.
The organization also reported that maternal health experts reported last July that the rate of spontaneous abortions had increased by 300% since October 7, 2023.
Jordanian pediatric surgeon Bilal Al-Azzam, who visited Gaza as part of a US-European medical delegation last February, confirmed in previous media statements that they had seen a number of cases of congenital deformities resulting from the ongoing bombardment, describing the scenes as "horrific and unprecedented."
The catastrophic impact of prohibited weapons
Human Rights Watch previously reported that it had verified Israel's use of white phosphorus bombs in the Gaza Strip and on the Lebanese border. Amnesty International also confirmed Israel's use of white phosphorus bombs in Gaza, and the International Committee of the Red Cross reported supporting reports, causing extensive harm to civilians in the densely populated Gaza Strip.
According to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) assessment, remnants of war in Gaza include radioactive materials, white phosphorus, halogens, and heavy metals, which can leave a toxic environmental impact and cause "indescribable damage" to human health.
The Director General of Hospitals in Gaza, Dr. Marwan Al-Hamas, confirms that this waste has led to a sharp increase in the rate of birth defects among newborns, with extremely high levels of dioxins found in the blood and breast milk of pregnant mothers, as well as in soil, sediments, and food.
It indicates that the air pollution rate with carbon monoxide has reached 700%, in addition to the presence of unidentified foreign particles resulting from explosives, which suggests an increase in cancer cases.
Physicists, for their part, noted that the occupation forces used chemical, biological, and thermal weapons. They stated that some explosives operate via a chemical reaction that generates an explosion and an intense heat wave, which can destroy tissue and cause severe harm to fetuses.
Experts point out that the use of dense inert metal explosives has torn human tissue, while the use of uranium and cluster bombs has caused birth defects and miscarriages.
Gaza residents confirmed that they noticed unusual changes in the sounds of explosions, reinforcing the hypothesis that Israel is using new and experimental weapons believed to have biological effects on pregnant women and fetuses.
