Gaza, October 27 (QNA) - Undersecretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs in the Gaza Strip Amira Haroun said that approximately 50,000 Palestinian women and girls have been either killed or seriously injured since the onset of the Israeli aggression in October 2023.

In her remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Tuesday, she added that more than 38,000 women and girls have been documented as killed, while another 11,700 have sustained injuries resulting in lasting effects and permanent disabilities, a figure equivalent to one in every 21 women and girls in the Gaza Strip having been either killed or injured.

Haroun emphasized that Israeli violations have persisted despite the ceasefire in October 2025. More than 277 women and girls have been killed over 2025, while over 150 forced evacuation orders, issued since the beginning of the aggression, have led to the displacement of approximately one million women and girls.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs revealed official figures for 2026, compiled in cooperation with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, that highlight the extraordinary burdens placed upon women. The number of households headed by women has risen to approximately 123,588, a consequence of the death of the primary breadwinner, the collapse of income sources, and the widespread destruction of property.

She noted that 28,580 women have lost their husbands since Oct. 7, 2023, leaving them to face the challenge of securing shelter, food, and water entirely on their own amidst harsh displacement conditions, at a time when approximately 702,000 women and girls are suffering from severe food insecurity during the period from July to December 2026.

Regarding health and social conditions, Haroun revealed that approximately 4,000 miscarriages occurred among pregnant women during the first six months of this year due to the repercussions and impacts of the Israeli war, a threefold increase compared to the second half of 2023, driven by the deterioration of healthcare, psychological stress, and displacement.

She pointed out that the total number of widows in the Strip has reached 64,413 - 28,224 of whom were widowed during the recent genocidal war, while the number of orphaned children has risen to 71,846. Meanwhile, 258,927 displaced families are currently living in 2,090 shelters, enduring extremely harsh humanitarian and health conditions, housed in tents that lack even the most basic necessities of life.

Regarding female detainees in Israeli occupation prisons, the Undersecretary of the Ministry Women Affairs said that the occupation authorities have arrested more than 800 women since October 2023. She noted that, as of the beginning of last October, there were 90 Palestinian women held in Israeli occupation prisons, out of a total of approximately 9,300 detainees, including some held under administrative detention without charge.

Haroun emphasized that the significant struggle and humanitarian role of Palestinian women are met with a reality that is exceptionally harsh and complex, a consequence of the ongoing blockade, forced displacement, and unprecedented psychological and economic pressures, all of which impose a compounded burden on widows, female heads of households, and survivors of violence.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry Women Affairs urged for holding the international community, UN agencies, and human rights organizations accountable, urging immediate intervention to halt the Israeli aggression, end the blockade, and ensure the occupation is held responsible for its crimes against women. She further demanded the provision of urgent international protection for women and their families, in accordance with international treaties and charters.

She also called on relief organizations and partner entities to expand the social protection framework and provide both emergency and regular, sustainable financial and relief assistance to female heads of households and widows. Furthermore, they emphasized the need to develop shelter services, psychosocial support, and legal counseling for survivors of violence, whose suffering has been exacerbated by the current circumstances. (QNA)