Doomsday Clock Ticks Closer as 50,000 Women and Girls Killed or Wounded in Gaza Since 2023

One year after a ceasefire took effect in Gaza, promised steps including Israeli withdrawal, governance transition and reconstruction have not occurred, leaving most Palestinians displaced, while nearly 50,000 women and girls have been killed or severely wounded since October 2023 according to UN Women. The doomsday clock ticks closer amid these stalled commitments and persistent humanitarian shortfalls.

Ceasefire Status One Year On

One year after ceasefire, Gaza’s promised ‘day after’ has yet to arrive. While Israeli captives have been returned, the promised withdrawal, governance transition, and reconstruction remain incomplete as most Palestinians remain displaced [1]. The situation reflects incomplete follow-through on agreements reached when the ceasefire entered into effect a year ago. Violence, demolitions and killings have continued despite the truce agreed in October last year [2]. This incomplete implementation has left reconstruction efforts stalled and governance transitions unrealized, with the majority of the population still unable to return to stable living conditions.

Casualties Among Women and Girls

Nearly 50,000 women and girls have been killed or severely wounded in Gaza since October 2023, UN Women revealed in a report [2]. Latest UN figures show that at least 11,700 women are left with injuries so severe that they now live with lifelong disabilities [2]. More than 38,000 killed and 11,700 left with injuries so severe that they now live with lifelong disabilities, Sofia Calltorp, UN Women's chief of humanitarian action, commented [2]. Nearly 50,000 women and girls have been killed or severely injured in Gaza since October 2023, equivalent to one in every 21 women and girls in the enclave, UN Women said [3]. “More than 38,000 killed and 11,700 left with injuries so severe that they now live with lifelong disabilities,” Sofia Calltorp, UN Women’s chief of humanitarian action, told reporters in Geneva [3]. She said most casualties occurred during the first two years of the war, but violence has continued despite the ceasefire agreement entering into effect a year ago, with 277 women and girls killed since October 2025 [3]. At least 277 women and girls have been killed since the truce came into effect [2]. The majority of recorded casualties occurred in the first two years of the war, noting that violence, demolitions and killings have continued despite a ceasefire [2].

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Displacement and Household Changes

She said that almost a million women and girls have also been forced out of their homes and remain displaced, living in makeshift tents or the unsafe ruins of their homes [2]. Nearly one million women and girls have been forced from their homes, while almost all remain displaced, many living in tents or among the ruins of their homes, she said [3]. Caltrop also said that the number of female-headed households has doubled, meaning one in four households in Gaza are now headed by women, who carry the burden of securing a livelihood and providing food [2]. Calltorp also warned that the number of female-headed households has doubled, with women now heading one in four households in Gaza [3]. The number of female-headed households has doubled in Gaza as a result of Israel's war [2].

Humanitarian and Social Impacts

The figures come as Israel continues to heavily restrict aid into Gaza and funding cuts for aid organisations have also had a marked impact on women, making them even more vulnerable [2]. According to data from UN Women, aid organisations have reported an increase in gender-based violence as a result of the dire humanitarian situation, while poverty and mental health distress has also been on the rise since 2025 [2]. At least 13 organisations also reported an uptick in child marriages recorded [2]. Funding cuts have severely weakened women’s organizations, with 13 of 14 surveyed reporting they can no longer meet growing needs [3]. All surveyed organizations reported increases in gender-based violence, poverty and mental health distress since 2025, while 13 reported rising child marriage [3]. Several rights organisations have sounded the alarm over restrictions on emergency supplies in Gaza, noting that access to food, clean water, hygiene items and vital services remain severely limited [2].

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Calls for Accountability and Implementation

The organisation has demanded a full and proper ceasefire, and for international law to be respected [2]. It also urged for accountability to be taken for violations committed in the enclave [2]. UN Women called for full implementation of the ceasefire, respect for international law and accountability for violations [3]. “What we have found is a horrific amount of collective suffering, an immense amount of pain, and a level of resilience and strength that no woman should have to bear,” Calltorp said [3].

Resilience Amid Collective Suffering

Sofia Calltorp highlighted the scale of endurance required under current conditions, describing an immense amount of pain alongside notable resilience that no woman should have to bear [3]. This assessment draws from surveys of aid organizations operating under severe constraints, where funding shortfalls have compounded daily challenges for women heading households and seeking basic services. The combination of restricted aid flows and rising needs since 2025 has placed additional pressure on local groups attempting to address gender-based violence and mental health distress.

What to watch next: continued monitoring of whether the ceasefire reaches full implementation, whether international law protections are upheld, and whether accountability measures address reported violations in the enclave.