Video: Baby born without brain amid surge in birth defects in Gaza

Al Bawaba

03-05-2025

ALBAWABA - Medical authorities in Gaza verified that Malak Ahmed Al-Qanoua, a baby girl, was born at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza without a brain, in a heartbreaking case that was covered by Al Jazeera. There are grave worries about the rising number of prenatal abnormalities as a result of the sad delivery, which occurs as Israeli bombs continue to bombard the beleaguered strip.
Malak, who was only two days old, is a prime example of the startling increase in serious birth abnormalities in Gaza, said Munir Al-Barsh, Director General of the Gaza Ministry of Health. Al-Barsh told Al Jazeera that such anomalies might be related to radiation exposure from Israeli bombardments. The baby's head ended abruptly at eye level, revealing an unfinished skull in a video that Al-Barsh made public.
Al Jazeera cites medical professionals and Palestinian authorities who have expressed concern about Israel's purported deployment of prohibited and experimental weaponry, such as chemical and radioactive bombs. They claim that in addition to wreaking havoc on civilian communities, these weapons are also harming unborn children, leading to an increase in miscarriages and malformations.
Mothers and children are at risk due to weapons and a blockade.
The infant probably suffered from severe malnutrition as a result of the oppressive Israeli embargo, according to Marwan Al-Hems, head of Gaza's field hospitals, who spoke to Al Jazeera. In addition to causing severe food shortages, the blockage has put expectant mothers and babies at risk for potentially fatal illnesses.
The administration of Gaza has often charged Israel with employing weapons that are illegal under international law throughout its campaign, such as chemical and incendiary bombs that inflict horrifying burns and the disintegration of human flesh. These claims are in line with previous alerts from human rights organizations on comparable incidents in other crisis areas.
🎥- حالة الطفلة ملك أحمد القانوع، بعمر يومين فقط، وُلدت مشوّهة بلا دماغ في مستشفى العودة شمال #غزة، في واحدة من الحالات الصادمة لتشوّهات الأجنة الناتجة عن قصف جيش الاحتلال الإسرائيلي، بحسب الصحفي أنس الشريف pic.twitter.com/6sesM28EEs — عربي بوست (@arabic_post) May 3, 2025
International Demands for Assistance and Accountability
Prior to this, Human Rights Watch issued a warning that pregnant women in Gaza faced grave dangers due to the breakdown of medical facilities and acute food shortages. Experts attribute the sharp rise in miscarriages to stress, malnourishment, and exposure to wartime chemicals.
UNICEF, meanwhile, issued a stark warning, stating that unless humanitarian access is provided immediately, children in Gaza risk urgent danger from malnutrition, sickness, and hunger.
According to local officials, more than 170,000 Palestinians have been killed in the continuing Israeli military operations, which are backed by the United States. These deaths have included women and children. Over 11,000 people are still unaccounted for, while hospitals and other facilities in Gaza are in ruins due to extensive damage.
Calls for international probes and immediate assistance are becoming more and more vocal as Gaza faces what Al Jazeera has called a catastrophic humanitarian situation.