Wafaa Mahna, 31 years old, felt great joy after it became clear that she was pregnant with her first child after seven years of trying to have a child, but this joy did not last long as she suffered a miscarriage due to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
Mahna said to The New Arab, "The war forced us to flee our home in Gaza City. On that day, there were no vehicles to transport the displaced, so I had to walk a long distance of up to six kilometres until I reached the home of our relatives."
A few hours later, Mahna began to feel severe pain in her abdomen and lower back, "Then I felt blood in my underwear, and I realized then that I would lose my fetus during the third month of pregnancy."
"This war killed my dreams of having a child whose name speaks my name or calls me 'mama'. What is the fault of these children, infants and fetuses that they should be killed in a war that they are not guilty of?" she said.
Increase in miscarriages and birth defects
The ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023 has caused a significant increase in miscarriages among pregnant women, due to psychological trauma, repeated displacement, malnutrition, and the lack of necessary medicines and vaccinations or facilities to help with the birthing process.
The World Health Organisation reported that about 95% of pregnant and lactating women in Gaza suffer from severe food poverty, "as they are limited to consuming two or fewer types of food groups per day, and the available foods are of low nutritional value."
This is what happened to Marwa Murtaja, 29 years old, who was displaced from Gaza City to Deir al-Balah camp in central Gaza. She miscarried her third child during her second month of pregnancy last January because of malnutrition and no access to appropriate medications.
"I went through difficult weeks during my pregnancy due to malnutrition and the lack of meat and poultry," Murtaja told TNA, further noting that her doctor advised her to take vitamins and folic acid to prevent deformities, and medication to stabilise the pregnancy.
Murtaja pointed out that she was able to find folic acid in UNRWA medical clinics, but was unable to obtain pregnancy stabilisation, because it was not available in clinics or even private pharmacies.
"Because of the war, I miscarried my fetus. At the time, I felt how our rights were being wasted and violated without any international protection for pregnant women," she added.
The UN Human Rights Office said in a statement published on November 8 that about 70 percent of the Palestinian dead in Israel's war on Gaza were women and children.
The office condemned Israel's systematic violation of the basic principles of international humanitarian law.
Dr Maher Kaware', a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, confirmed to TNA that the rates of miscarriages and birth defects in fetuses have significantly increased during the war.
He noted that the complex records about 10 miscarriages and 20-30 caesarean sections per day, compared to two miscarriages and 10 caesarean sections per day before the war.
The doctor stressed that the psychological pressures resulting from the continuous bombing and the killing of relatives during Israeli raids, in addition to the repeated displacement and malnutrition, are the most important causes of miscarriage during this period.
Kaware' pointed out that the lack of necessary vaccines for pregnant women also contributed to the high rate of miscarriage, in addition to the lack of basic hygiene materials that hinder the preservation of the health of newborns, which leads to the spread of infectious diseases among them and therefore increases the death rates.
He also mentioned that some fetuses were born with congenital deformities or before the lungs are fully developed, which increases the chances of their death. Kaware' further explained that the growth of newborns is also affected by the lack of nutrition for mothers, and the lack of natural and artificial milk in the markets.
The doctor also pointed out the significant decrease in the number of births in Gaza is a result of the conditions of continuous displacement and the loss of spatial stability for families, in addition to the lack of privacy within shelters and displacement camps.
No protection of pregnant women in Gaza
Legally, international law guarantees the protection of pregnant women from the risks of miscarriage during wars, according to statements made by the head of the International Committee to Support the Rights of the Palestinian People Salah Abd Al-Ati to TNA.
Abd Al-Ati explained that there are many agreements and legal texts that provide special protection for pregnant women and affirm their right to safety and care.
He stated that the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols, especially the first additional protocol issued in 1977, oblige warring parties to provide necessary medical care for pregnant women and prevent them from being exposed to harm or violence.
He also stressed that international humanitarian law obliges warring parties to take all measures to avoid harming civilians, including pregnant women, and emphasises the prohibition of targeting health facilities that provide them with medical care.
Abd Al-Ati also referred to UN Security Council Resolution No. 1325 issued in 2000 on women, peace and security, which reinforces the importance of protecting women and girls during armed conflicts and guarantees their right to health safety.
The legal expert asserted that international law considers abortion resulting from violence or torture a war crime or a crime against humanity, and obliges warring parties to take the necessary measures to protect pregnant women from violence and violations.