“We are appalled that women are being targeted by Israel with such vicious, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, seemingly sparing no means to destroy their lives and deny them their fundamental human rights."
Image via the Palestinian People's Party
In a statement released May 6, a group of United Nations human rights experts condemned the onslaught "of violence against women and children in Gaza" by Israeli forces.
They noted that "women, girls and children overall are among those most exposed to danger in this conflict, and that as of 29 April 2024, of 34,488 Palestinians killed in Gaza, 14,500 have been children and 9,500 women. Another 77,643 have reportedly been injured, of which 75% are estimated to be female. Over 8,000 others are reported missing or under the rubble – and the experts noted that at least half of them can be assumed to be women and children. They also noted that an estimated 63 women, including 37 mothers are being killed daily and 17,000 Palestinian children are believed to have been orphaned since the war on Gaza began."
In addition the “treatment of pregnant and lactating women continues to be appalling, with the direct bombardment of hospitals and deliberate denial of access to health care facilities by Israeli snipers, combined with the lack of beds and medical resources placing an estimated 50,000 pregnant Palestinian women and 20,000 new-born babies at unimaginable risk. Over 183 women per day are giving birth without pain relief, while hundreds of babies have died because of a lack of electricity to power incubators,” they said. “The dreadful conditions have resulted in increases in miscarriages by up to 300 percent. 95 per cent of pregnant and breastfeeding women face severe food poverty”.
Women "in labour deliver their babies in horrific circumstances. According to UNFPA, around 155,000 pregnant women and new mothers are struggling to survive and access basic health care. In addition, an estimated 690,000 women and girls in Gaza who require menstrual hygiene supplies are unable to manage their menstrual cycle in privacy and with dignity with some reports of contraceptive pills being taken to avoid the unhygienic menstrual conditions."
The experts said that nothing illustrates the "systematic violence being inflicted on women and their children" by Israel better than the terrible story of newborn Sabreen al-Rouh Jouda delivered prematurely moments after her mother died of injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike who then died herself a few days later.
Dismayed at "continued reports of sexual assault and violence against women and girls, including against those detained by Israeli occupation forces" they noted that "the Government of Israel has continuously failed to conduct an independent, impartial and effective investigation into the reported crimes."
“We are appalled that women are being targeted by Israel with such vicious, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, seemingly sparing no means to destroy their lives and deny them their fundamental human rights."
They called for an immediate end to the hostilities and an arms embargo against Israel.