Full Breakdown
Gaza’s Newborns and Children Face a Devastating Health Crisis Amid Ongoing Conflict
4/29/2026, 3:24:06 AM
War-Born Infants Suffer Immediate Trauma
Infants born at the start of the Israel-Gaza war have endured life-threatening injuries. Nour Abu Samaan, born three hours before the October 7, 2023 attack, inhaled toxic gases from nearby missile strikes, leaving her with severe limb paralysis. Six-month-old Misk al-Jarou, whose mother reports missing joints in her hands and feet, was exposed to the same gases in utero, resulting in congenital deformities. Two-year-old Mohammed Abu Hajeela survived an Israeli strike on a school shelter that caused third-degree burns over 18 % of his body, now requiring a compression mask for most of each day. Their cases unfolded amid a siege that crippled hospitals, including the bombing of al-Nasr Children’s Hospital, and a collapse of prenatal care.
Scale of the Crisis
The Ministry of Health reports 1,200 children with spinal cord injuries or paralysis, 322 congenital defects in 2025—double the pre-war rate—and 4,800 low-birth-weight infants, also double previous figures. In 2025, 4,000 women experienced premature deliveries and 457 infants died within their first week. Approximately 1,000 children have undergone amputations or bear severe scarring. The health system estimates that 4,000 children need urgent medical evacuation abroad, while 20,000 patients overall await treatment outside Gaza. Since the Rafah crossing partially reopened in February, only 154 children have been permitted to leave, and more than 470 children have died while waiting for evacuation.
Official Statements
Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Ministry of Health’s Information Unit, warned that immediate evacuation is the only realistic hope for affected children and that the Rafah crossing’s closure directly fuels preventable deaths. He attributed the scarcity of outbound medical permits to heavy movement restrictions imposed by Israel. Al-Waheidi also highlighted a demographic shift: a negative population growth rate of -1.3 % and a 38 % drop in birth rates in 2024, followed by a further 13 % decline in 2025.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Her colour turned blue, her eyes rolled back, and she lost all movement” — Samar Hammad, mother
- “Misk is in so much pain, and every day I feel her condition getting harder,” — Warda al-Jarou, mother
- “When he wakes up, we feed him and prepare him for the coming hours of torment,” — Ramez Abu Hajeela, father
- “Every day the Rafah crossing remains closed, we lose lives,” — Zaher al-Waheidi, head of Gaza Ministry of Health Information Unit
What’s Next
The ministry urges the international community to press for the full reopening of Rafah and to secure additional permits for child patients. Without accelerated evacuation, the health crisis among Gaza’s youngest residents is projected to worsen.
