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UN Reports Detail Rising Gender-Based Violence in Gaza
United Nations reports say women and girls in Gaza are facing many kinds of violence.
The reports cover incidents recorded from April to June 2026 and interviews conducted earlier.
Reported cases increased compared with the previous three months.
Some women were denied money, food, medicine, shelter or other help.
Others experienced harassment, physical attacks, sexual violence or abuse at home.
The reports also describe girls and women being forced into marriages, sometimes after rape or in exchange for resources.
Displacement and crowded living conditions have made people more vulnerable.
Many survivors are afraid to report abuse because they may be blamed or punished.
The reports say support groups are helping survivors, but serious dangers and barriers to justice remain.
UNFPA reported a 27% rise in reported gender-based violence incidents from April–June 2026 compared with January–March.
Denial of resources, psychological violence and physical assault were the most commonly reported forms of abuse.
Forced and early marriage cases rose 123% in absolute numbers, while sexual-violence cases increased 61%.
Reports described harassment, rape, domestic abuse, exploitation and denial of food, shelter, medicine and other assistance.
Women and girls remain especially vulnerable amid displacement, poverty, weak protection systems, victim-blaming and entrenched gender norms.
- Who
- Women and girls in Gaza, especially adults aged 18–59, were the primary reported survivors; UNFPA and partner organisations documented the cases.
- What
- United Nations reports documented rising gender-based violence, including resource deprivation, psychological and physical abuse, sexual violence, domestic violence and forced marriage.
- Where
- Incidents were reported across Gaza’s five governorates, with the largest shares in Gaza City and Deir El Balah; interviews were conducted in Gaza City and Khan Younis.
- When
- The main data covered April–June 2026 and was compared with January–March 2026; a separate study drew on discussions held from December 2025 to January 2026.
- Why
- The reports link heightened vulnerability to displacement, poor living conditions, economic deprivation, ongoing conflict, entrenched gender norms and limited access to survivor-centred justice.
Key facts
- Reporting period
- April–June 2026
- Overall reported increase
- 27% compared with January–March 2026
- Largest incident categories
- Denial of resources and opportunities: 32.7%; psychological and emotional violence: 30.9%; physical assault: 30.5%
- Most affected age group
- Women aged 18–59 accounted for 68% of reported survivors
- Forced and early marriage
- 2.6% of registered cases, with a 123% increase in absolute numbers from the previous quarter
- Sexual violence
- The report describes a 61% increase in case numbers; the article gives shares of 2.4% in one passage and 2.7% in another, compared with 2.2% and 2.1% respectively in earlier-quarter comparisons
- Geographic distribution
- Gaza City: 36%; Deir El Balah: 25%; North Gaza: 19%; Khan Younis: 19%
Quotes
A woman quoted in the UNFPA focus-group report
Participant describing concealment of rape through forced marriage
“Multiple forms of GBV were reported to the case management organisations, the highest GBV incidents during the period were denial of resources and opportunities (32.7%), psychological and emotional violence (30.9%); Physical assault (30.5%). Sexual violence incidents increased in number this quarter and accounted for 2.4%, unlike 2.2% in the previous quarter.”
opindia.com
“There was a woman whose son was sick and needed surgery. She begged the doctor to agree to the operation and let her son go into surgery. The doctor asked her to come to his room at night, and she had to comply with his request. The next day, he went into surgery”
opindia.com
Sources
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