Foreign ministers warn against renewed strikes on Iran at Istanbul talks
Foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul on Friday warned that renewed military strikes on Iran could deepen the regional conflict, urging diplomatic ...
An average of at least 47 women and girls were killed each day during the war in Gaza, according to new figures released by UN Women.
The agency said more than 38,000 women and girls died between October 2023 and December 2025, including at least 22,000 women and 16,000 girls.
Speaking in Geneva, Sofia Calltorp, head of humanitarian action at the agency, said the scale of the loss is striking. She noted that women and girls made up a much higher share of deaths than in previous conflicts in Gaza.
“These were people with lives and dreams,” she said. “They were mothers, daughters, sisters and friends, deeply loved by those around them.”
The report also warns that killings have continued even after a ceasefire agreed in October. The truce brought an end to two years of full-scale fighting between Hamas and Israel, but violence has not stopped entirely.
Local medics say more than 750 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, while militants have killed four Israeli soldiers. Both sides have accused each other of breaching the agreement.
UN Women said it does not yet know how many of those killed since the ceasefire are women or girls, due to a lack of detailed data.
The impact goes beyond deaths. Nearly 11,000 women and girls have been injured, many with life-changing disabilities. The true number of casualties may be higher, as many bodies are still believed to be buried under rubble.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed overall since October 2023, with over 170,000 injured.
The war has created a long-term humanitarian crisis. Around one million women and girls have been displaced, often living in difficult and unsafe conditions.
Many families are now led by women, who face rising financial pressure and increased risks to their safety.
Damage to roads, hospitals and other services has made daily life much harder. Access to healthcare is especially limited. Figures from the World Health Organisation show that more than 500,000 women cannot access basic services, including care during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Calltorp said the situation leaves many without even the most basic support. “It is almost impossible for women and girls in Gaza to meet their essential needs,” she said.
The crisis is also affecting children. UNICEF reported that at least 214 children have been killed in the past six months alone.
The figures highlight the ongoing human cost of the conflict, even as large-scale fighting has eased.
UN Women is calling for full respect for the ceasefire, as well as adherence to international law and a significant increase in humanitarian aid.
The agency stressed that women and girls must be at the centre of recovery and peace efforts.
It continues to work on the ground in Gaza alongside women-led and women’s rights organisations. Together with UN partners and aid groups, it aims to deliver life-saving support and ensure women are included in decision-making and rebuilding.
Despite a reduction in large-scale fighting, the figures show that the impact of the war is far from over, particularly for women and girls trying to rebuild their lives.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Russia is willing in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States in November, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said after President Vladimir Putin met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Super typhoon Champi is set to batter Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture from Friday (23 October), bringing violent winds, torrential rain and waves up to 11 metres high, as airlines cancel flights and organisers scrap a major festival.
Israeli military bulldozers have begun demolishing buildings in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday, 23 October, following armed clashes with Palestinians that left two Israeli soldiers dead, according to the Israeli military.
Foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul on Friday warned that renewed military strikes on Iran could deepen the regional conflict, urging diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court has extended hearings in a case seeking to ban five opposition parties, with proceedings now set to continue until 30 October. The court in Batumi will resume hearings on Monday, 26 October, after missing its original 23 October deadline.
Pakistan and the European Union have agreed to step up counterterrorism cooperation as security concerns over Afghanistan grow and tensions between Islamabad and Kabul persist.
The head of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says Armenia has effectively withdrawn from the military alliance, despite not formally ending its membership.
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has approved a new alphabet, bringing the Latin-script Uzbek alphabet closer to other alphabets used in the Turkic world.
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