Noura's once joyful dream of motherhood collapsed amidst the devastation of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. At 26, she experienced the intense joy of a positive pregnancy test in July 2023, after years of IVF treatments. Noura and her husband, Mohamed, decided to store two additional embryos at Al-Basma Fertility Centre in Gaza City, envisioning a brighter future with more children. However, their hopes were shattered when Israel's military campaign escalated after Hamas's attacks on October 7, 2023.
Since the launch of military operations, more than 54,000 lives have been lost in Gaza, according to health authorities. The family's struggles intensified as they were forced to flee their home, grappling with supplies essential for a healthy pregnancy. Noura faced a devastating hemorrhage seven months into her pregnancy and, despite attempts to reach a medical facility, suffered a miscarriage. Tragically, the couple's twins were lost, and during this turmoil, the two additional embryos were destroyed when the fertility clinic in Gaza was shelled.
Dr. Baha Ghalayini, director of Al-Basma Fertility Centre, estimated that nearly 4,000 frozen embryos were lost due to the attacks, which many believe targeted reproductive health services. He emphasized the deep emotional toll on families, as many women who lost their embryos faced irreversible infertility. The conflict has obliterated the hopes of countless families longing for children.
While Israel has denied allegations of systematically targeting fertility clinics, the fallout of the destruction has left numerous women, like Islam and Sara, grappling with unfulfilled dreams of motherhood. As all nine fertility clinics in Gaza are non-operational, the prospect of parenthood seems unreachable for many amid the devastation of the ongoing war.
