More than 38,000 women and girls were killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip between October 2023 and the end of 2025, according to a report published Friday by UN Women.
Palestinian health authorities estimated the total death toll in Gaza at just over 71,000 by the end of 2025. The UN Women analysis concludes that women and girls represented more than half of all recorded victims during that period - a figure that underscores the disproportionate civilian toll of the conflict.
The overall death count continued to climb into 2025. By mid-April, Palestinian health authorities placed the total at more than 72,000, as Israel continued sporadic military operations despite a ceasefire agreement reached with Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza.
Context of the conflict
The conflict began in October 2023 following a large-scale Hamas attack on southern Israel, which Israeli authorities said killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of around 250 hostages. Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response, which has continued in varying intensity since then.
International organizations, including the United Nations, have repeatedly raised concerns about civilian casualties and humanitarian conditions inside Gaza throughout the conflict. Israel has maintained that its military operations target Hamas infrastructure and personnel, and has attributed civilian deaths in part to Hamas's use of populated areas for military purposes - a claim Hamas disputes.
Methodology and sourcing
The figures cited in the UN Women report are drawn from Palestinian health authorities in Gaza. The United Nations has generally treated these figures as credible estimates, though it has at times noted limitations in data collection under conflict conditions. Israel has questioned the reliability of casualty data produced by Hamas-run health institutions.
The report does not appear to break down deaths by cause beyond attributing them to Israeli attacks, according to the summary published by the South China Morning Post, which first reported on the findings.
The release of the report comes amid ongoing international debate over the conduct of the war in Gaza, with multiple countries and international bodies calling for increased humanitarian access and a permanent end to hostilities. Ceasefire negotiations have proceeded in fits and starts, with agreements proving fragile and combat resuming on multiple occasions since the conflict began.
