Gaza death toll: 38,000 women and girls killed in Israeli bombardment and land military operations

Thirteen-year-old Mona describes how she survived a double airstrike that killed her mother, sister and brother, destroyed her family home, and left her with life-changing injuries. “We were sitting on the sixth floor when they struck the seventh – my uncle’s apartment. My uncle’s wife was screaming, “My children! My children are gone!” As I rushed to help her, they fired the second shell. That’s when my mother and my siblings were killed and my leg was amputated”, says Mona.

“The shell hit them directly. Their bodies weren’t whole – they were in pieces”, says Mona. Mona’s mother and sister are among more than 38,000 women and girls killed in Gaza between October 2023 and December 2025, representing on average at least 47 women and girls killed every day.

In the immediate aftermath, Mona’s father was forced to tell her what had happened to the rest of her family. “At that moment, I felt nothing – I went completely numb”, says Mona.

Injured Palestinians face excruciating pain, displacement, and severely limited access to healthcare

Nearly 11,000 women and girls in Gaza have sustained injuries so severe they now face lifelong disabilities. At the same time, health infrastructure has been heavily damaged, making access to basic medical care extremely difficult, particularly for those requiring long-term rehabilitation or pain management. The situation is now worsening due to the recent military escalation in the Middle East, as border crossing closures and humanitarian access constraints further reduce access to life-saving support.

After Mona was discharged from hospital, she found out they were being evacuated. “We got on a bus to Hamad City”, says Mona. “The whole way, I sat in pain – the stitches in my stomach were pulling, I couldn’t lean back because of the wounds on my back. I sat bent over the entire time, barely able to breathe”. With no painkillers, Mona spent the five-hour journey in agony. When she arrived in Hamad City, she couldn’t even lay down. “I wanted to lie down on the mattress, but I couldn’t – the pain was unbearable”. Finally, she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.