Child marriage rates have increased in Gaza during the ongoing conflict, according to data from the Supreme Shariah Court and local experts. Court records show 20.6% of marriages in 2024 and 2025 involved girls under 18, compared to 17.8% in 2022, reversing a previous downward trend.

The Supreme Shariah Court recorded 35,474 marriages in 2024 and 2025, including 627 marriages of girls under 15. Officials note the actual rate may be higher as many marriages went unregistered during the conflict. Overall marriage registrations dropped 35% in 2024 compared to pre-war levels.

Families displaced by the conflict cite economic desperation and security concerns as driving factors. Parents interviewed described losing homes and livelihoods, living in crowded camps with limited resources, and fearing for their daughters' safety. Some viewed marriage as providing financial stability and protection for their children.

Medical professionals report increased teenage pregnancies and related health complications during the war. Dr. Yasser Shaaban, head of the maternity ward at Awda Hospital, noted many young mothers suffered from malnutrition, complicating already high-risk pregnancies for adolescents.

The minimum legal marriage age in Gaza is 17, with exceptions allowed for younger girls with parental consent and judicial approval. Court rules prohibit marriages below 14 years and seven months, though some families arrange informal agreements without official registration.

Before the conflict, child marriage had been declining in Gaza, falling from over 22% in 2015 to 17.8% in 2022. In the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority set the minimum age at 18 in 2019, early marriage rates have dropped to approximately 5%.