The United Nations says thousands of babies have been born in conditions “beyond belief” in Gaza since Oct 7, AFP reports.

Unicef spokeswoman Tess Ingram, back from a recent visit to the Gaza Strip, described mothers bleeding to death and one nurse who had performed emergency caesareans on six dead women.

Nearly 20,000 babies have been born into the conflict that began, according to Unicef, the UN children’s agency.

“That’s a baby born into this horrendous war every 10 minutes,” Ingram told reporters in Geneva via videolink from Oman.

“Becoming a mother should be a time for celebration. In Gaza, it’s another child delivered into hell,” she said, emphasising a need for urgent international action.

“Seeing newborn babies suffer, while some mothers bleed to death, should keep us all awake at night,” she said.