Human Rights Watch – in a report issued today – said that the siege of the Israeli government and its attacks against health facilities in the Strip created a grave threat that sometimes threatens the lives of women and girls during pregnancy and childbirth and after them since the start of the Israeli aggression in October 2023.
The report is 50 pages, and its title “Five Children in one incubator: violations of the rights of pregnant women during the Israeli attack on Gaza.”
The report said that the illegal blockade imposed by the Israeli forces on the Gaza Strip, the severe restrictions imposed on humanitarian aid, their attacks on medical facilities and health care workers directly damaged women and girls during pregnancy, in childbirth, and postpartum period.
As the Occupation Authority in Gaza, the Israeli government has violated each of the rights of pregnant women and girls, including the right to generous health care and respected throughout the period of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, and the care of newborns.
“Since the start of hostilities in Gaza, women and girls have passed through a period of pregnancy in which they lack the minimum basic sanitation, health care, water and food, they are newly given their children at risk of death Who can be prevented. ”
The quality of health care, which medical facilities and the few services in Gaza, have decreased significantly. Women are hurriedly removed from the crowded hospitals sometimes a few hours after birth to make way for other patients, and many of them are war. All medical facilities in Gaza operate in unhealthy conditions that witness a serious crowd and shortage of basic health materials, including medicines and vaccines.
Human Rights Watch said – in a statement of Al -Jazeera Net – that two draft laws approved by the Israeli “Knesset” in October, and enter into force in January 2025, threatening to damage the health of mothers and newborns. These two new laws prohibit the “United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East” (UNRWA) from working in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, and prevents the government from contacting UNRWA, which makes it impossible for UNRWA to deliver aid to the occupied West Bank or Gaza or obtain Permits or visas for its employees. Israel has ordered UNRWA to evacuate all its facilities in occupied East Jerusalem and stop its operations there by January 30, 2025. UNRWA provides water, food, shelter and other vital services for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and newborns.
Forced displacement
The Israeli aggression led to forced displacement of more than 90% of the population of Gaza (1.9 million Palestinians) and have often been displaced several times. It was often impossible to inform women of the place where they could obtain health services safely, and it was difficult for women to access the few services available safely in time. Women, girls, and newborns did not get almost any degree of medical follow -up and post -birth health care.
There is only minimal information about the survival rate of newborns alive or the number of women who have serious or grateful diseases during pregnancy, childbirth, or after birth. However, in July, maternity health experts reported that the rate of automatic abortion in Gaza has increased by up to 300% since October 7, 2023. The United Nations Children’s Organization (UNICEF) reported that since December 26, December 26 reported 2024, 8 infants and births died due to a decrease in body temperature due to the lack of basic shelter, along with winter temperatures.
“We have to put 4 or 5 children in one incubator … and most of them do not survive.”
The illegal Israeli siege of Gaza and the use of starvation caused a war of sharp food insecurity for most people in Gaza. Women and pregnant girls face huge obstacles to maintaining good nutrition and healthy diet necessary for their health and fetus growth.
The Israeli government intentionally deprived the Palestinians of water, which constitutes a crime against humanity and one of the actions of genocide. Many pregnant women reported that they were subjected to dehydration or their inability to wash.
This deprivation causes many health conditions or exacerbates them a lot, including anemia, pregnancy poisoning, bleeding and blood poisoning, all of which can be fatal without appropriate medical treatment.
Pregnant women in Gaza are almost no opportunity to evacuate, although international human rights law guarantees all civilians the right to leave their country for reasons that include medical reasons and the right to return.
As the occupation authority in Gaza, the Israeli government is also binding under international humanitarian law to ensure that the civilian population obtains food, water and medical supplies with the utmost that the means available to the government existing in the occupation.
Under the law, the Israeli authorities are obligated to allow the freedom to pass all the shipments of medical supplies, hospitals, basic foodstuffs, clothing and medical supplies allocated “to children under fifteen years of age, pregnant women or nitalism.”
Stop military aid
Human Rights Watch said that the Israeli government’s allies, including the United States, should take all possible measures to end these dangerous Israeli violations and others. Governments should stop military aid and review bilateral agreements with the possibility of their suspension, such as the partnership agreement between the “European Union” and Israel, as the governments of Spain and Ireland have proposed, the free trade agreement between the United States and Israel, and the support of the “International Criminal Court” and other accountability efforts.
Governments should continue to support UNRWA’s efforts in Gaza, including providing all necessary resources for sexual and reproductive health services. It also has to pressure Israel to ensure that specialists in sexual and reproductive health and mental health enter Gaza without restrictions.
The governor said: “The stark and repeated violations committed by the Israeli authorities of international humanitarian law and the Human Rights Law in Gaza have a special and sharp impact on women, pregnant girls and newborns. The needs of women, pregnant girls, newborn children, and others who need health care. “