Gaza: No Safe Pregnancies During Israeli Assault

The report, “‘Five Babies in One Incubator’: Violations of Pregnant Women’s Rights Amid Israel’s Assault on Gaza,” finds that Israeli forces’ unlawful blockade of the Gaza Strip, its severe restrictions on humanitarian aid, and attacks on medical facilities and healthcare personnel have directly harmed women and girls during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. The Israeli government, as the occupying power in Gaza, has violated the right to the highest attainable standard of health and other rights of pregnant women and girls, including the right to dignified, respectful health care throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, as well as the right to newborn care.“Since the start of the hostilities in Gaza, women and girls are going through pregnancy lacking basic sanitation, health care, water, and food,” said Belkis Wille, associate crisis, conflict and arms director at Human Rights Watch. “They and their newborns are at constant risk of preventable death.”The report is based on interviews with 17 people between June and December 2024, including 8 Palestinian women who were pregnant while living in Gaza during the hostilities, medical workers from Gaza, and international medical staff working with international humanitarian organizations and agencies’ operating teams in Gaza.