High rates of malnutrition, the spread of disease, and pollution from toxic gases have all contributed to a dramatic fall in births in Gaza
Birth rates are falling in Gaza due to the effects of Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave
New data from Gaza have revealed that Israel’s war on the enclave has caused a sharp decline in birth rates and a rise in miscarriages*, with experts decrying this as “reproductive genocide”.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health revealed that only 2,004 births were registered in April 2026, compared to 6,076 births in November 2025, a decrease of around 67 per cent…There has also been a marked increase in miscarriages*, with 921 documented in April alone, equating to one for every two births.
[*The English translation of the report talks about increases in abortions. I believe they mean miscarriages, which the text confirms. MB]
SOURCE: The New Arab, by Nadda Osman, 20 June 2026. PHOTO: Getty