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Birth and motherhood in Gaza, which were once filled with joy, love, and anticipation, have been transformed into an ordeal marked by suffering and distress since the start of the latest Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023.

The widespread destruction of hospitals across the Gaza Strip and severe shortages of medical supplies due to Israel’s relentless siege have stripped away the basic conditions required for safe childbirth, placing thousands of expectant mothers and their newborns at risk, particularly those undergoing cesarean sections.

According to the latest report published by Al-Haq, an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists (Geneva) based in Ramallah, Israeli authorities have denied and restricted the entry of many medical items, including anesthesia, antibiotics, blood supplies, and sterile surgical equipment, under “dual-use” classifications or unclear bureaucratic procedures. As a result, women are often forced to undergo surgery without adequate pain relief, face life-threatening hemorrhages without access to blood transfusions, or are denied cesarean sections altogether.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Afara, director of the Children’s Hospital at Nasser Medical Complex, told Al Jazeera that pregnant women in Gaza are facing multiple serious complications as a result of the lack of medical follow-up, essential vitamins, and adequate nutrition during pregnancy.

Wafa Jahlash, 27, who gave birth by caesarean section at Al-Helou International Hospital, told us that she was in severe pain when she arrived at the hospital. She waited for a long time to undergo pre-delivery examinations. Tests showed her hemoglobin level was 10 grams per deciliter (the World Health Organization considers levels under 11 grams per deciliter to indicate anemia for pregnant women).

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“I was suffering from iron deficiency. Despite the severity of my condition, the hospital did not keep me admitted because the doctors were unable to provide blood units, and there was no available space for me to stay inside the hospital. Therefore, I returned home until one of my brothers donated one unit of blood for me,” she said.

Women are often forced to undergo surgery without adequate pain relief, face life-threatening hemorrhages without access to blood transfusions, or are denied cesarean sections altogether.

Women are often forced to undergo surgery without adequate pain relief, face life-threatening hemorrhages without access to blood transfusions, or are denied cesarean sections altogether.

After receiving the blood transfusion, Jahlash said she was prepared for the caesarean........

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