Gaza’s Population Declines Sharply Amid Ongoing Israeli War and Humanitarian Collapse
Official Palestinian report reveals 10% population drop in Gaza, severe demographic disruption, and growing collapse of civil defense amid Israeli attacks and blockade.
Watan-A Palestinian official report revealed an unprecedented decline in the population of the Gaza Strip, driven by the ongoing Israeli war, which has caused a massive increase in the number of martyrs, missing persons, and mass displacement outside the territory.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, updated population estimates indicate that Gaza’s population has dropped to approximately 2,129,724, a 6% decrease compared to projections for mid-2024. The figure further drops to 2,114,301, marking a 10% decline compared to mid-2025 projections.
The report highlighted that Israel’s deliberate targeting of young demographics—especially children and youth—is expected to cause a fundamental disruption to Gaza’s demographic structure, particularly the base of its population pyramid, which is critical for any society’s natural growth.
This demographic impact, the report warned, will not only affect the present but also extend into the medium- and long-term future, as the loss of large numbers of men and women of reproductive age is expected to lead to a future drop in birth rates, causing a widening demographic gap and long-term consequences for Gaza’s social structure.
The findings came in a report published on World Population Day, under the global theme: “8 Billion People: Infinite Possibilities—Rights and Responsibilities”. The bureau stressed that this day comes as Palestine, especially Gaza, suffers from an unprecedented humanitarian and demographic catastrophe due to Israel’s ongoing aggression.
“While the global theme calls for empowering individuals and ensuring reproductive and health rights and equal opportunities, the reality in Gaza reflects the opposite—where fundamental human rights are systematically violated, including the right to life, health, shelter, education, and human dignity.”
Israel has waged a full-scale assault on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, committing what have been described as war crimes and acts of genocide, severely damaging all aspects of life in the besieged territory.
The bureau also noted that the global Palestinian population is now estimated at 15.2 million as of mid-2025, about half of whom live outside historic Palestine. Within the State of Palestine, the population is approximately 5.5 million, including 2.8 million males and 2.7 million females. Meanwhile, around 1.9 million Palestinians live within the 1948 borders (now Israel), and 7.8 million live in the diaspora—6.5 million of them in Arab countries.
Civil Defense Crisis in Gaza
In a separate but related development, Gaza’s Civil Defense announced Thursday that all of its emergency vehicles in the Gaza and North Gaza governorates have stopped operating—except for one firetruck—due to a lack of spare parts and maintenance capabilities.
The agency said it has also suspended operations in the southern governorates (Central, Khan Younis, and Rafah), grounding 3 of 6 fire engines and 4 of 6 ambulances that serve tens of thousands of civilians.
The agency warned that this suspension of critical humanitarian operations comes at a time of intensified Israeli attacks, describing the situation as “catastrophic,” especially as Israel tightens its so-called “humanitarian zone.”
Even before the war, Civil Defense suffered from severe shortages due to Israel’s deliberate targeting of its vehicles by airstrikes or bulldozers. The agency has previously reported a shortage of personnel, with rescue teams being killed, injured, or arrested during operations.
Operating under extreme conditions with no fuel, spare parts, or external support, Gaza’s Civil Defense is on the brink of complete collapse.
The agency called on UN agencies and international organizations to immediately pressure Israel to allow the entry of rescue equipment, spare parts, and emergency vehicles to restore humanitarian services.“Continued international silence enables genocide,” the agency warned. “Without rescue vehicles and medical access, the suffering of Gaza’s population under this war of annihilation will only grow worse.”
