Gaza Birth Defects Surge Past 2022 Total in Nine Months
Translated & summarized from Arab48 by baba
Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that congenital birth defect cases in the first nine months of this year exceeded the total for all of 2022. Director General Munir Al-Barsh called for an international investigation into the rise, citing Israeli actions, starvation, and healthcare collapse. He noted 260 cases by September 2026, compared to 184 in 2022, and urged examination of factors like malnutrition and pollution. Human rights groups and doctors have previously warned of risks to pregnant women and fetuses from Israeli military actions.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Gaza recorded 260 congenital birth defect cases by September 2026, surpassing 2022's total of 184.
- Gaza's Health Ministry Director General called for an international investigation into the rising birth defect rates.
- Officials cited Israeli actions, starvation, displacement, and healthcare collapse as contributing factors.
- Previous reports linked fetal deformities to Israeli weapons and risks to pregnant women from toxic gases.
- A UN survey found 12.2% of surveyed children in Gaza suffer from stunting, with 1.3% severely malnourished.
The number of congenital birth defect cases recorded in Gaza during the first nine months of the current year has surpassed the total for all of 2022, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip on Friday. The ministry's Director General, Munir Al-Barsh, called for an independent international scientific investigation into the causes of this increase.
Al-Barsh expressed concern over the rising rates of congenital anomalies in newborns, attributing it to the ongoing "genocide" by Israel for over three years, coupled with a policy of starvation, displacement, and the collapse of healthcare services. He reported 260 congenital defect cases by the end of September 2026, compared to 184 in all of 2022. The total for 2025 was 322 cases, a 75% increase from 2022. Al-Barsh cautioned that these numbers alone do not establish the prevalence or causes of the defects.
He urged an independent international scientific probe to examine the rise, considering factors like maternal malnutrition, exposure to pollutants, and interrupted prenatal care amidst the "Israeli war of genocide." Al-Barsh specified common defects, including cleft lip and palate, ambiguous genitalia, shortened limbs, and umbilical hernias, noting that a single child can have multiple conditions.
Previously, in May 2025, Al-Barsh suggested a potential link between fetal deformities in Gaza and the "testing of weapons by the Israeli occupation against civilians and children." Since October 8, 2023, doctors and human rights reports have warned of the risks to pregnant women from toxic gases emitted by Israeli shells and rockets, fearing fetal deformities.
Human Rights Watch stated on January 28, 2025, that pregnant women in Gaza are at risk due to Israel's ongoing "genocide," creating conditions that threaten pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn lives. In February 2024, Jordanian surgeon Bilal Al-Azzam, part of a US-European medical delegation, reported treating congenital defect cases during the war. Additionally, a UN OCHA survey in August 2026 indicated that 12.2% of children surveyed in Gaza suffered from stunting, with 1.3% experiencing severe malnutrition, amidst ongoing Israeli ceasefire violations, casualties, and the blockade leading to starvation.