Gaza on the Brink of Population Crisis amid Fertility Center Attack

Refugees in Gaza/© UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel

Gaza City - The Director General of the Gaza Ministry of Health, Munir Al-Barsh, revealed that the birth rate per month in the region has dropped by 40 percent over the past year, down from 26,000 to only 17,000 births.

According to him, this condition is caused by the fact that fertility centers and IVF are direct targets of the Israeli Zionist forces.

As reported by ANTARA from IRNA, Monday, December 29, Al-Barsh highlighted the widespread malnutrition in mothers, which was exacerbated by the systematic restriction of essential food supplements and medicines.

This condition has led to a significant increase in cases of babies with low birth weight and has created a public health emergency.

He cited the bombing of the Al-Basma Center, which he said had caused a nitrogen tank to catch fire and destroyed about 4,000 embryos that had been fertilized and ready to be moved.

This data shows plans to suppress Palestinian population growth. He noted that Israeli research institutions, such as the Herzliya Conference, had previously warned of the demographic threat of Palestinians.

The health official stressed that the ongoing conflict has provided a strategic opportunity for these measures, which he described as an attempt to undermine women's reproductive health while weakening Gaza's demographic structure.

The Gaza Ministry of Health also reported a worrying decline in birth rates and a spike in miscarriage cases, raising concerns about a deliberate demographic crisis in the region.