2023–2024 Gaza Strip preterm births

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2023–2024 Gaza Strip preterm births
Part of the Gaza war, the Gaza humanitarian crisis, and the Gaza genocide

Premature babies at Al-Shifa
Date21 October 2023 – present
(1 year, 5 months, 3 weeks and 6 days)
Location
Gaza Strip
Status Ongoing
Casualties and losses
31+ dead[a]

The Gaza Strip faced a premature baby crisis during the

intensive care having to be evacuated from Al-Shifa, as well as the destruction of embryos destined for implantation[5] added to concerns about the rising number of preterm births in the Gaza Strip.[6]

Background

Starting on 21 October 2023,

premature babies in NICUs were at risk of death.[10][11] A press release from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in April 2024 stated that pregnant women in Gaza had been experiencing premature labor and miscarriage at rates three times higher than before the conflict intensified. The rise was attributed to displacement, trauma, and malnutrition.[12]

In November 2024, Adele Khodr, UNICEF's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, emphasized the severe challenges faced by newborns in the Gaza Strip, stating that the war had disrupted fetal development, childbirth, and postnatal care, resulting in an increased need for intensive care among infants. Khodr also referenced reports from doctors highlighting a rising number of premature births, undernourished infants, and newborns with developmental complications.[13]

Al-Shifa Hospital

See also: Al-Shifa Hospital siege

On 11 November, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari stated the army would help evacuate babies from al-Shifa Hospital, but a Gaza Health Ministry spokesman stated Israel had not provided "any mechanism to get the babies out to a safer hospital."[14][15] The same day, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel stated two premature babies had died due to the loss of electricity.[16]

On 15 November, Israel launched a raid on al-Shifa Hospital, where three dozen premature babies were still sheltering.

UNOCHA to southern Gaza.[23] They were planned to be moved to Egypt with their families the following day.[24] Two additional babies died soon after.[25] The babies were reported to be suffering from severe hypoglycemia — insufficient blood sugar.[26] On 20 November, 28 of the babies were evacuated to Egypt.[27] Only eight were accompanied by their parents, as the others were orphans, or their parents were unable to leave Gaza.[28] As of 20 November 2023, eight babies were reported as having died at al-Shifa during that month.[1]

Al-Nasr Children's Hospital

On 10 November,

Doctors Without Borders reported that evacuating medical workers at Al-Nasr Children's Hospital had to leave babies in incubators after the IDF bombed the pediatric hospital.[29][30] On 29 November, video footage from Al-Nasr showed the aftermath of the hospital's evacuation, with the five premature babies dead still in their incubators.[31] The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor confirmed the Al-Nasr infants' deaths.[32] They stated the IDF had indicated to hospital staff they would evacuate the babies, though the IDF denied any involvement.[33][34] In a recording of a phone call between COGAT and a medical official, the IDF official confirmed ambulances would retrieve patients from al-Nasr, but hospital officials stated the ambulances never arrived.[3] The Red Cross stated that it had received "several requests" for evacuations from hospitals in northern Gaza, but due to security concerns, it was "not involved in any operations or evacuations, nor did teams commit to doing so." The organization also described the footage of deceased children as an "unspeakable tragedy."[35]

Other hospitals

In mid-December, Israel began a military siege and raid on the

Kamal Adwan hospital. On 14 December, the Gaza Health Ministry reported IDF soldiers had prevented medical staff from continuing support to 12 babies in intensive care.[36] Three premature babies had died at Kamal Adwan in November following a power outage.[2] In March 2024, Dr. Husam Abu Safiya, the acting head of Kamal Adwan, reported that his staff were treating 300 to 400 children a day, with 75% suffering from malnutrition. Between January and March 2024, 16 premature babies had died of malnutrition-related causes at the Al Helal Al Emirati Maternity Hospital in Rafah.[37]

On 12 December 2024 the IDF announced a forced displacement order for Gaza City's Patient’s Friends Benevolent Society Hospital, leading Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) to issue a press release to the effect that this would completely shut down "advanced neo-natal care" across all of Northern Gaza.[38] MAP also said that their doctors in the hospital would not be evacuating.[39]

In February 2025, doctors at the Patient's Friends Benevolent Society Hospital reported that five babies had died due to cold weather, as well as the absence of adequate shelter and heating. Additionally, in Khan Younis, the head of the pediatric unit at the Nasser Hospital reported "that it [the unit] had received the body of a two-month-old girl who had died of hypothermia on Tuesday [25 February 2025]". The director general of the Gaza Health Ministry "alleged that Israel had "failed to comply with humanitarian protocols, including allowing the entry of medical equipment, heating supplies, tents, and mobile homes" since the ceasefire began on 19 January." COGAT, meanwhile, said that Israel was committed to its obligations and was allowing tents into the Strip.[40]

Rise in preterm births

A pediatric doctor at the Emirati Hospital in

Doctors Without Borders reported a rise in pre-term deliveries in southern Gaza.[44]

Destruction of embryos

A single strike on Gaza City's Al Basma IVF center, Gaza's largest

IVF center, destroyed most of the frozen IVF embryos in the Gaza Strip.[45][46] It destroyed 4000 human embryos and an additional 1000 samples of frozen sperms and eggs.[47][48] The embryos were stored in liquid nitrogen, which did not require electricity to maintain; they only needed to be topped up once per month.[45] But the blast blew the lid off 5 tanks, causing the liquid to quickly evaporate, which caused the embryos to defrost and die.[47] They are 9 or more clinics in the Gaza Strip that perform IVF related procedures, but most of the embryos were stored in 5 liquid nitrogen tanks at the Al Basma center.[45] The clinic was established in 1997 by obstetrician and gynecologist Bahaeldeen Ghalayini.[49] Bahaeldeen Ghalayini said a single Israeli shell struck the part of the center where there embryos were stored on the ground floor, but he said he did not know if the lab had been specifically targeted by the strike.[49]

See also

Notes

  1. Kamal Adwan.[2]
  2. 4 at Al-Nasr.[3]
  3. 16 at Emirati Hospital[4]

References

  1. ^ a b al-Mughrabi, Nidal. "Premature Gaza babies evacuated to Egypt as Israeli tanks encircle second hospital". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-12-13. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Press Summaries on the War on Gaza, November 22–25". Institute for Palestine Studies. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Berger, Miriam; Hill, Evan; Balousha, Hazem. "A Gaza hospital evacuated, four fragile lives and a grim discovery". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  4. ^ Jahjouh, Mohammed; Jeffrey, Jack; Keath, Lee (8 March 2024). "It's not just Israeli bombs that have killed children in Gaza. Now some are dying of hunger too". Associated Press. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  5. ^ Shubailat, Nadine; Alcini, Camilla; Kim, Julian; Elasfar, Julian. "Over 4,000 IVF embryos destroyed in 1 shelling at Gaza's largest fertility center, director says". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  6. ^ "Premature babies evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital, health officials say". CBC. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
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  8. ^ Shurafa, Wafaa; Magdy, Samy; Kullab, Samya (23 October 2024). "Dwindling fuel supplies for Gaza's hospital generators put premature babies in incubators at risk". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  9. ^ El-Bursch, Adnan; Seddon, Sean (23 October 2023). "Dead and wounded strain Gaza hospitals as air strikes intensify". BBC. Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
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  20. ^ Deng, Dov Lieber and Chao (2023-11-16). "Israel Says It Found Evidence of Hamas Activity at Gaza Hospital". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
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  22. ^ Shawkat, Ahmed (21 December 2023). "Gaza mother "lost hope" that her son, born in a war zone, had survived. Now they're finally together". CBS News. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Palestinian Red Crescent, UN agencies evacuate Al Shifa premature babies". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-11-20. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  24. ^ Jobain, Najib; Magdy, Samy (19 November 2023). "31 'very sick' babies have been evacuated from Gaza's largest hospital, where trauma patients remain". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  25. ^ Yee, Vivian (19 November 2023). "Premature Babies Are Evacuated From Embattled Hospital in Gaza". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  26. ^ Loveluck, Louisa; Harb, Hajar. "A Gazan family, a premature newborn, a painful choice to stay". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  27. ^ Mpoke Bigg, Matthew (20 November 2023). "28 Premature Babies Evacuated From Gazan Hospital Arrive in Egypt". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  28. ^ "Two Premature Babies Died Before Evacuation From Gaza: UN". Barron's. Agence France Presse. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  29. ^ Parker, Claire. "North Gaza hospitals have turned into 'a graveyard,' Doctors Without Borders says". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  30. ^ Kilbride, Erin; Van Esveld, Bill (December 2023). "Birth and Death Intertwined in Gaza Strip". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  31. ^ * "Alarming footage shows Israel left premature babies to die alone in Gaza hospital it forcefully evacuated". The New Arab. 29 November 2023. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  32. ^ "We call for an international investigation into the responsibility of the Israeli army for leaving 5 infants to die in Gaza". Euro-Med Monitor (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
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  35. ^ Goodwin, Allegra (8 December 2023). "Infants found dead and decomposing in evacuated hospital ICU in Gaza. Here's what we know". CNN. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
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  37. ^ Jahjouh, Mohamed; Jeffery, Jack; Keath, Lee (8 March 2024). "It's not just Israeli bombs that have killed children in Gaza. Now some are dying of hunger too". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  38. ^ "Israel's latest forced displacement order threatens to end advanced neo-natal care in northern Gaza - occupied Palestinian territory | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  39. ^ "Israeli strike on Nuseirat kills 33 as aid agencies warn of hunger crisis". The New Arab. 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  40. ^ "Gaza: Six babies have died from cold in two weeks, medics say". BBC News. 2025-02-25. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
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  45. ^ a b c "'5,000 Lives in One Shell' - Israeli Strike Destroyed IVF Embryos in Gaza's Largest Fertility Clinic". Haaretz. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  46. Sydney Morning Herald
    . 18 April 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  47. ^ a b Salem, Saleh; Creidi, Imad; Mills, Andrew. "Gaza's IVF embryos destroyed by Israeli strike". Reuters. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  48. ^ "Gaza's IVF embryos destroyed: 5,000 lives likely lost in Israeli strike on clinic". www.telegraphindia.com. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  49. ^ a b "'5,000 Lives in One Shell' - Israeli Strike Destroyed IVF Embryos in Gaza's Largest Fertility Clinic". Haaretz. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024. Ghalayini said a single Israeli shell struck the corner of the center, blowing up the ground floor embryology lab. He does not know if the attack specifically targeted the lab or not.
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