UNFPA reports describe a severe escalation in gender-based violence in Gaza amid displacement, famine and the wider humanitarian crisis. Women and girls are reportedly facing rape, forced marriage, domestic abuse, sexual exploitation and restrictions on access to food, shelter and healthcare, with male relatives, partners and camp representatives among the alleged perpetrators.

The reports, based on testimony from 230 women in displacement camps in Gaza City and Khan Younis, say reported GBV rose 27% between April and June 2026. Sexual-violence cases made up 2.7% of reported incidents, up from 2.1% previously, while absolute case numbers rose 61%; accounts included a 14-year-old allegedly married off for two bags of flour, survivors being pressured to marry rapists, and women exchanging sexual favours for essential aid or medical treatment.