Gaza birth rate drops as miscarriages rise The director of the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza reported that there was a 40-percent drop in births in the strip and a sharp rise in miscarriages compared with last year, blaming malnutrition and restricted medical supplies. Munir al-Bursh added that low birth weight has become widespread in Gaza. Israeli attacks on fertility centres during the war, including the Basma Centre, destroyed around 4,000 embryos, according to UN reports. Bursh said this points to a pre-planned Israeli strategy targeting Palestinian reproduction.