Over 38,000 women, girls killed in Gaza conflict- UN
The UN Women has estimated that more than 38,000 women and girls lost their lives during the Gaza conflict by the end of 2025, representing over half of the 71,000 deaths reported by Gaza’s health authorities.
Speaking at a briefing in Geneva, UN Women spokesperson Sofia Calltorp said the fatalities occurred between October 2023 and December 2025 as a result of Israeli air strikes and ground operations.
“Between October 2023 and December 2025, more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza — the result of Israeli air bombardment and land military operations,” she said.
“This includes over 22,000 women and 16,000 girls, amounting to an average of at least 47 women and girls killed every day.”
The agency cautioned that the actual figures could be higher, as many bodies remain trapped beneath debris and reporting systems have been severely disrupted.
Calltorp noted that women and girls accounted for a significantly higher proportion of fatalities compared to previous conflicts in Gaza.
According to UN Women, survivors continue to face severe hardships, including ongoing threats to their safety, hunger, repeated displacement, and limited access to basic services.
“On top of a staggering death toll, nearly 11,000 women and girls in Gaza have sustained injuries so devastating that they survive only with lifelong disabilities,” she said.
The conflict has also altered family structures, with many households now headed by women who must provide for their families without income or adequate support.
Nearly one million women and girls have been displaced multiple times, while around 790,000 are experiencing severe or catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
The crisis has been further intensified by restricted humanitarian access and border closures linked to wider regional tensions.
Although a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was announced in October 2025, violence has continued, with hundreds of Palestinians reportedly killed since the truce took effect.