New Delhi, May 21 -- More than 28,000 women and girls have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023, according to a new estimate released by UN Women. The analysis painted a devastating picture of the ongoing conflict, with women and girls dying at an average rate of one every hour during Israeli attacks.

The toll included thousands of mothers, the agency said, leaving behind children, families, and communities shattered by grief. The report underscored the vast scale of human suffering in Gaza as the war entered its 20th month and the humanitarian situation worsened.

Since the ceasefire collapse in March 2025, Gaza has faced a near-total blockade on aid. The United Nations warned that more than a million women an...