(MENAFN- Palestine News Network )
Gaza / PNN /
Story by Fidaa Yaqub Abu Al-Atta
Palestinian citizen Noura struggles to describe the pain she endured during pregnancy and childbirth amidst war.“It's not just physical pain; it's the anguish of the soul,” she says.“No matter how strong I am, there's always a fragile part of me that needs mending. My spirit weakens, my heart grows heavy under the weight of these endless days. The heartbeat within me-like the ticking of a clock-is the only thing that eases my suffering.”
Speaking from Gaza, Noura adds,“Do you know what true pain is? It's being forced into a life you never wanted. I seem calm in my sorrow, but my heart is weary from wars that never cease-most recently, the war that began on October 7, a date etched into history. We, the broken-hearted, stand before the mirror of time, reflecting on a year that has felt like a curse, wreaking havoc on every aspect of our lives. We have bled tears, endured the spectre of death on every front, and watched as the fabric of our lives was torn apart by loss, betrayal, hunger, cold, humiliation, greed, and disease.”
We Sleep on the Ground and the Sky Is Our Blanket
Noura's story of giving birth under the relentless Israeli bombardment following the October 7 attacks reveals unimaginable hardship. In her final months of pregnancy, Noura was instructed to avoid walking or exertion. Yet, the Israeli military forced her and countless others to flee from northern to southern Gaza-on foot.
With a deep sigh, Noura recounts,“We weren't allowed to bring anything with us. They made us stand like animals-apologies for the expression-for hours in what I can only describe as the 'queue of death.' We were left on the ground, under threats, with no water or shade. Men, women, and children cried; elderly people stood helpless, and young men were humiliated, stripped of dignity. The sight was gut-wrenching.
For 24 hours, we weren't allowed to rest. We waited for them to grant us permission to sit, while they revelled in our humiliation. Everyone silently repeated, 'God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.' Movement was forbidden; snipers targeted us from above. Even blinking felt like a risk.
I remember a young man whose mother collapsed in front of him. As he bent down to help her, a sniper's bullet pierced his head. He fell lifelessly onto her, his blood covering her as she cradled his lifeless body. Everyone cried silently, too terrified to offer help, fearing the snipers or the tanks moving ominously before us. The despair was indescribable.”
Noura pauses, her voice trembling as she continues:“When it was my turn, I was shaking with fear and desperate for water. I called out, 'I need water!' The soldier sneered and told me to shut up. He offered me his urine instead, forcing me to drink it. I begged him, tears streaming down my face, refusing to comply. In anger, he slapped me across the face. My body quivered in fear, but I stood still, not wanting to provoke the young men around me-there were drones above, tanks ahead, and snipers ready to shoot.
The scene was surreal. Above us, Israeli drones equipped with advanced surveillance and weapons capabilities hovered menacingly. These drones, heavily used since the start of the October 7 conflict, could fire bullets, drop bombs, and conduct military operations with precision. Death surrounded us on all sides, yet somehow, by God's grace, my unborn child was spared.
We slept on the bare ground, exposed to the blazing sun, with nothing to shield us. When they finally let us go, I collapsed, overcome by pain and exhaustion. My husband and some of the young men helped me regain consciousness. Terror lingered as the sound of tanks and gunfire grew louder. Illumination flares, gas canisters, and shrapnel rained down. We had no choice but to flee again, seeking a safer place.
We walked for hours in complete darkness, with the barking of dogs echoing in the distance. It was one of the longest, most harrowing nights of my life. The pain in my heart was unbearable, but what hurt the most was for my unborn child. I couldn't feel his heartbeat anymore."
The Shock and Resilience: A Mother's Struggle for Survival in Gaza
Noura recalls the devastating moment when she felt her baby's heartbeat stop.“I placed my hand on my belly and began reciting verses from the Quran. Hours passed with no sign of life. Then, by God's grace, the heartbeat returned.” But this was only the beginning of her suffering.
Shortly after, Noura began experiencing severe health issues: coughing, diarrhea, dehydration, hepatitis A, and skin infections. Constant displacement worsened her condition as she moved from houses to tents to makeshift shelters under rubble.“We fled countless times,” she says.“Once, we crammed into a rickety cart with my husband and his family. The cart was so unsteady that I thought I'd lose my baby. The roads were littered with the bodies of martyrs, destruction, and the belongings of people forced to abandon everything.”
Eating Animal Feed to Survive
Describing the dire humanitarian situation, Noura explains how the lack of basic necessities pushed people to the brink.“The food was inedible, the water salty and contaminated, and we were surrounded by open sewage. People resorted to eating animal feed just to stave off hunger, leading to outbreaks of skin diseases and hepatitis. After giving birth, my health deteriorated further. I hated myself. Living in constant fear, waiting for death every second, we ate spoiled food and drank sewage water. Forgive my harsh words-they come from a heartbroken soul.”
Cutting the Umbilical Cord with a Rusty Blade
For many women, childbirth during war is a nightmare. Premature births are common, and postnatal complications are exacerbated by unhygienic living conditions. Women give birth in tents, on the streets, or even in overcrowded shelters. Many leave hospitals prematurely due to shortages of blood and medical supplies. Even cesarean sections and cutting umbilical cords are performed without proper sterilization or anesthesia.
For Noura, the experience was harrowing:“I saw death before my eyes. Due to the immense pressure, my baby slipped into my trousers. I begged God to ease my pain. There were no ambulances, no phones, no help. My husband wept, fearing I'd lose the baby or die. I was carried on a wooden door salvaged from the rubble of a demolished house, as if I were already a martyr.
We couldn't reach a hospital because of the relentless bombing and Israeli blockades. Then, as if by miracle, an elderly woman appeared. She held me as I delivered my baby under a torn tent. The umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. Using an old, rusty pair of scissors, she cut the cord. By God's grace, my baby survived.”
Life in a Tent: A Struggle for Dignity
Noura named her newborn baby Rizk (Arabic for "blessing"), reflecting her gratitude for his survival. Yet, her anxiety about their future remains.“I thank God a thousand times for saving us, but living in a tent is unbearable. We have no diapers, no proper clothes for the baby, and no access to a dignified life. The smell of the communal bathrooms is overwhelming, and standing in line for basic needs is humiliating. Even the men have lost their sense of decency. Everyone is out for themselves.”
Despite the unimaginable trials, Noura clings to hope, holding her baby close as a reminder of resilience amidst despair.
Horrors of War: Pregnant Women in Gaza Face Unimaginable Hardship
Days and nights blur into a relentless nightmare for women in Gaza, with scenes of horror, suffering, and devastation at every turn. Scattered remains on the streets are left to stray dogs, and the mental, social, economic, and physical toll of the war is evident in the alarming rise in maternal mortality. In camps, women endure harsh conditions that exacerbate complications, including miscarriages, premature births, and an inability to access critical medical care for natural or cesarean deliveries.
Access to healthcare in Gaza has plummeted, leaving vulnerable groups-pregnant women and infants-without essential services. Displacement has only worsened their dire situation.
A Journey of Displacement: Noura's Story
Noura recounts her harrowing journey:“We fled multiple times-from Beit Hanoun to Jabalia, then to Sheikh Radwan, Al-Rimal, Al-Bureij, Al-Nuseirat, and finally to Rafah and Khan Younis. From homes of loved ones to friends' shelters, to tents in the streets, and then to checkpoints. At Salah Al-Din Road, we waited for hours under the scorching sun while Israeli soldiers deliberately fired above our heads, tormenting us psychologically.”
She continues,“I cried and prayed for protection. The pain in my legs from standing was unbearable, but we weren't allowed to rest. If we sat, they would shoot us. At one point, I felt something slipping from my body and feared I'd lose my baby. I wished for death to escape the agony. I remembered stories from 1948 about pregnant women being stabbed, and I imagined I'd meet the same fate. The soldiers hurled profanities at us, and after hours of humiliation, I fainted from fear.”
Health System on the Brink of Collapse
Pregnant women in Gaza face death as hospitals cease functioning under relentless Israeli airstrikes. The lack of medical supplies, anesthesia, and staff, combined with overcrowded facilities overwhelmed by injured civilians, has rendered maternal care nearly impossible. For Noura, pregnancy became a crushing burden amidst the chaos of war.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Gaza's hospitals are critically short of fuel, medicines, and medical supplies. These shortages are causing devastating physical and psychological harm to women, who receive only limited care, resulting in both immediate and long-term health consequences.
Delivering Under Fire
Under the relentless bombardment, pregnant women endure unimaginable conditions during labor. Many give birth in makeshift shelters, tents, or even streets, surrounded by the chaos of war and the dead. Postnatal care is nearly non-existent, with shortages of medicine, food, water, blankets, and clothing compounding their suffering.
“These women give birth amidst hellish scenes, with corpses scattered around them,” Noura shares.“The health system is destroyed, teetering on the brink of collapse. It is a war on our humanity.”
The resilience of women like Noura highlights the profound human cost of war, as they struggle to protect their families and bring new life into an environment of devastation and despair.
Gaza's Pregnant Women Face Dire Health and Living Conditions Under Siege
The United Nations reports that over 177,000 women in Gaza face life-threatening health risks , including 162,000 women with or at risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular conditions, or hypertension. Furthermore, 15,000 pregnant women stand on the brink of starvation , enduring severe complications like infections, anemia, and hypertension.
Among the most pressing issues for pregnant women are urinary tract infections caused by a severe lack of clean drinking water, as water supplies remain unavailable or contaminated. Many women suffer from bleeding and miscarriages due to the physical strain of walking long distances, often forced by Israeli military orders to evacuate on foot, such as from northern to southern Gaza. Basic necessities, like sanitary pads and diapers, are also unavailable.
The Struggles of Motherhood Amid War
After giving birth, mothers like Noura face relentless challenges. They cannot access formula milk, diapers, or even basic tools such as kettles to sterilize water for their newborns. "My baby cries day and night," Noura shared.“I cry too, from the pain in my heart, as I try to endure hunger and thirst. When I look at him, exposed to the cold with no clothes to protect him, I wrap him in a clean piece of fabric just to shield him from the chill.”
Noura recounts:“My mother wasn't with me. I left her in the north when I fled with my husband's family. I wished she could hold my hand to ease my pain and fear. But there was no hope, no joy, only suffering and misery after giving birth in the street. The pain of labor without anesthesia, coupled with the bitter winter cold, was unbearable. During a storm, I woke up to find everything soaked-the tent had collapsed, and we had only one blanket to cover myself and my naked baby. My husband's family, 20 people in total, shared the same tent, leaving no room for privacy or rest.”
A Mother's Desperation
Noura's story has become emblematic of the ongoing struggles faced by Gaza's women. Her inability to access formula milk, diapers, or clean water for her baby has left her waiting for hours to light a fire to heat water. Her newborn, weak and uncovered, developed scabies after wearing second-hand clothes purchased by her husband.“I felt helpless, unable to protect him. On top of that, I suffered intense postnatal pain and gastrointestinal distress from the lack of medical follow-up. The hospitals were too crowded with the injured and the dead. My heart aches, and words can no longer express my pain. This is my story-may God protect us.”
Healthcare System on the Brink of Collapse
The healthcare system in Gaza is on the verge of total collapse. Approximately 84% of health facilities have been destroyed , and the remaining few lack essential medicines, ambulances, life-saving treatments, electricity, and clean water. Medical services have been paralyzed, and access to medication is nearly impossible.
Over 5,500 expected births in Gaza face grim prospects. Many women give birth in hospitals overwhelmed by war, where doctors perform deliveries with little or no anesthesia, sometimes under the light of mobile phones.
The Silent Crisis of Maternal Health
Thousands of pregnant women in Gaza are unable to access essential medical care, leaving them and their newborns vulnerable to preventable complications. The destruction of healthcare infrastructure, combined with the ongoing siege, has turned childbirth and motherhood into a nightmare for countless women.
The resilience of mothers like Noura amidst these unimaginable conditions sheds light on the human cost of war and the urgent need for humanitarian intervention.
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