Gaza: Birth defect cases in 9 months exceed the total for the entire year 2022

Birth defect cases among newborns in Gaza in the first 9 months of 2026 (260 cases) exceeded the total for the entire year 2022 (184 cases), as the Health Ministry calls for an international investigation into the effects of war, starvation, and pollutants.

The number of birth defect cases recorded among newborns in the Gaza Strip during the first nine months of 2026 (260 cases) exceeded the total for the entire year 2022 (184 cases), according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry's director general, Munir al-Barsh, called in a statement for an independent international scientific investigation to study the causes of this increase, pointing to the role of maternal malnutrition, exposure to pollutants, and lack of prenatal care during the war. Al-Barsh reported 322 birth defect cases among newborns in 2025, a 75% increase compared to 2022. He clarified that the numbers alone do not determine the rate of defects among newborns nor prove their causes. He noted that the defects include cleft lip and palate, ambiguous genitalia, shortened upper limbs, and umbilical hernia, and that more than one defect can occur in the same child.