UN Women: Nearly 50,000 Women and Girls Killed or Injured in Gaza Since October 2023

Nearly 50,000 women and girls have been killed or seriously wounded in Gaza since October 2023, UN Women said Friday, according to ANTARA News. Sofia Calltorp, the agency's head of humanitarian action, said more than 38,000 were killed while another 11,700 suffered injuries so severe they now live with lifelong disabilities.

Calltorp said most of the deaths were recorded during the first two years of the war, but violence has continued even after a ceasefire took effect last October. She said 277 women and girls have been killed since the truce began.

The conflict has also displaced close to one million women and girls, with nearly all of them still uprooted and many living in tents or among the ruins of their homes. Calltorp warned that the number of female-headed households has doubled, meaning one in every four households in Gaza is now led by a woman.

Funding cuts have further weakened women's organizations in Gaza, with 13 of 14 surveyed groups reporting they can no longer meet growing needs. All organizations surveyed reported increases in gender-based violence, poverty and mental health problems since 2025, while 13 reported high rates of child marriage.

UN Women called for the full implementation of the ceasefire, compliance with international law and accountability for violations. Calltorp described the situation as collective suffering and extraordinary pain borne with a level of resilience that no woman should have to endure, according to ANTARA News, which cited WAFA as its source.