A new advocacy brief released by UN Women has intensified global concern about possible genocide in Gaza, reporting that at least 38,000 women and girls were killed between October 2023 and December 2025 during the war.
According to the the report, The Cost of the War in Gaza on Women and Girls, on April 17, it estimates that the death toll includes more than 22,000 women and over 16,000 girls. This translates to an average of at least 47 women and girls killed each day over the two-year period examined.
“Between October 2023 and December 2025, more than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Gaza, the result of Israeli air bombardment and land military operations,” said Sofia Calltorp, UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action.
UN Women warned that the figures are likely an underestimate due to the collapse of Gaza’s health and civil registration systems, as well as the large number of bodies believed to remain trapped beneath rubble after months of sustained bombardment and ground fighting.
UN Women Documents Widespread Injuries and Long-Term Harm
According to UN Women, nearly 11,000 women and girls are estimated to have sustained injuries resulting in disabilities, placing added strain on families and communities already devastated by mass displacement, destroyed homes, and the near-total breakdown of basic services.
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According to the report, women, children, and older persons together accounted for more than half of all reported fatalities during the conflict.
Total deaths in Gaza are estimated at over 71,200 by December 2025, though UN Women stressed that the actual number is almost certainly higher because of severe gaps in reporting and data collection.
“Women and girls accounted for proportions of deaths far higher than those observed in previous conflicts in Gaza,” Calltorp said, noting that women and girls made up about 15 percent of fatalities during the 2008–2009 war and roughly 22 percent during the 2014 conflict.
Disproportionate Impact on Women and Girls
The analysis shows an increase in the share of women and girls killed in the most recent conflict, underscoring what UN Women described as an unprecedented civilian toll.
Despite a ceasefire announced in October 2025, the agency warned that reports of killings have continued in the months since, indicating that women and girls remain at risk.
UN Women said it has been unable to compile comprehensive gender-disaggregated data for the post-ceasefire period because of ongoing information gaps on the ground.
“Where is the humanity, when more than 38,000 women and girls in Gaza have been killed?” Calltorp said.
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Deepening Humanitarian and Social Consequences
The report also details humanitarian and social consequences beyond casualties, with repeated displacement has left hundreds of thousands of women and girls without stable shelter, livelihoods, or access to education.
According to UN Women, thousands of households are now headed by women, many of whom face deep poverty while carrying the burden of caregiving under extreme conditions.
The collapse of maternal, reproductive, and primary healthcare services has left pregnant women without safe childbirth options and severely limited access to antenatal and postnatal care.
Damage to schools and infrastructure has further undermined girls’ right to education and long-term economic security.
During a press briefing accompanying the release of the report, UN Women questioned how such levels of civilian harm, particularly among women and girls, have been allowed to persist.
The agency called for full respect for international law, strengthened accountability, and unimpeded humanitarian access at scale.
UN Women said it continues to work in Gaza alongside women-led and women’s rights organizations, providing funding, coordination, and technical support as part of the broader United Nations humanitarian response.
The agency emphasized that women and girls must be placed at the center of recovery, reconstruction, and peace‑building efforts if lasting stability is to be achieved.
