GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Wafaa, 24, was happily married until the recent Israeli war on the Gaza Strip took away her husband, when a building in Sheikh Radwan district north of Gaza City was targeted, leaving her and her one-year-old son behind in the face of an unknown future with no security or protection.

“Life was beautiful when I was with my husband, Assim. Although more than two months have passed since his death, I still feel sad and distressed, now that I have to carry on the journey alone, amid many problems and while all eyes are on me,” she told Al-Monitor, asking her last name not to be revealed for privacy reasons.

The Israeli war on Gaza resulted in 2,127 Palestinian deaths including 544 children and 302 women. Although there are no official statistics on the number of widows in the Gaza Strip, they have significantly increased as a result of the war, according to Amal Syam, executive director of the Women's Affairs Center.

Syam told Al-Monitor, “Widows are facing many problems, starting with the fact that they have lost their family's provider and the source of financial income. The women argue with their fathers-in-law about inheritance and monthly pension. The problems do not end here, as they are sometimes forced to marry their brothers-in-law under the pretext of [providing] protection and security.”