GAZA, November 6, 2026 (WAFA) — A medical source in the Gaza Strip said on Friday that 260 cases of congenital anomalies were recorded among newborns during the first nine months of 2026, exceeding the total of 184 cases reported throughout 2022.

The source said 322 cases were recorded in 2025, representing a 75% increase compared with 2022. However, the figures alone do not establish the rate of congenital anomalies among newborns or determine their causes.

The medical source called for an independent international scientific investigation into the possible causes of the increase, including maternal malnutrition, exposure to environmental pollutants, and disruptions to prenatal healthcare amid Israel's war on Gaza.

The reported congenital conditions include cleft lip and palate, ambiguous external genitalia that make it difficult to determine a newborn's sex at birth, shortened upper limbs, and umbilical hernias. The source noted that a single child may have more than one congenital anomaly.

A Human Rights Watch report published on January 28, 2025, documented serious health and humanitarian risks facing pregnant women in Gaza as a result of the war, the blockade, the destruction of healthcare facilities, and shortages of food, water, and medicine.

The deterioration of maternal healthcare services has increased the risks of complications, including hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, and infections. Shortages of incubators and medical supplies have also threatened the lives of mothers, fetuses, and newborns.

M.N