How did Palestinian women confront 37 days of the Israeli assault?
Shafaq News / In the midst of the relentless Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, shocking statistics reveal that female Palestinian casualties constitute 30%, with children accounting for a devastating 40%. The toll has surpassed 11,000 victims, leaving 28,000 injured. Tragically, 3,000 individuals, half of whom are children, remain missing under the rubble. Additionally, 1.7 million forcibly displaced individuals, half of them women, are enduring dire conditions in the wake of the conflict.
Dr. Salah Abdelatti, Head of the International Committee for Supporting the Rights of the Palestinian People, highlighted the severe deprivation faced by Gaza citizens. Collective punitive measures have left them without access to essential human necessities, struggling for water, electricity, and food. Overcrowded shelter schools offer minimal privacy, exacerbating the challenges faced by the population.
Abdelatti described a grim reality of terror, intimidation, diseases, and environmental epidemics due to the absence of hygiene and health standards. The desperate search for drinking and sanitary water reflects the harshness of life under these circumstances.
"Pregnant and breastfeeding women suffer from the absence of healthcare," stated Abdelatti, emphasizing the targeting of hospitals, suspension of primary healthcare clinics, and the cessation of services for cancer patients and those with chronic diseases. The consequences are dire, with some experiencing a deterioration in health, and tragically, others losing their lives.
Abdelatti stressed the tragic humanitarian situation, particularly affecting women and children who face an imminent threat of death. This unfolds amidst a stark failure by both the Arab and international community to stop the ongoing genocide, ensure the protection of civilians, and put an end to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Israeli military's assault on Gaza persists for the 37th consecutive day, with preliminary figures revealing a toll exceeding 11,100 victims since October 7th. Among these, over 4,506 are children, and 3,027 are women, highlighting the disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable members of the population.
Faten Ali Azadhamad, a consultant in human development from Palestine, accentuated the resilience of Palestinian women. Despite the dire circumstances, these women exhibit courage, perseverance, and steadfastness, resisting to protect their land, homes, and honor. Azadhamad detaild the struggles of Gazan women, who, despite having nothing, cook over wood fires due to gas shortages, search for water, and strive to protect and strengthen their children.
She explained that "the Palestinian woman in Gaza is living in extremely dire conditions, witnessing widespread destruction, with no safe haven to turn to, coupled with the loss of all means of transportation."
Continuing, she stated, "Gazan women have become either widowed or bereaved, having lost one or all of their children, extended family, parents, brothers, and sisters, or their homes."
She emphasized that "the Israeli enemy has violated all human rights agreements, women's rights, and children's rights. Gaza, once resembling a large prison, has now turned into a mass grave."
"Despite all this, the Palestinian woman is resilient and unwilling to abandon her land," she called on "women and mothers worldwide to stand with the Palestinian woman and save children from genocide."
Yemeni political activist Ishraq Mohammed Al-Makhadhi stated that "the Palestinian woman is subjected to violence, insecurity, displacement with her children, and family. She is the woman who has endured the most in the world for decades."
Al-Makhadhi added that "the Palestinian woman has suffered a lot of crimes during the past 37 days, witnessing destruction and the loss of family, relatives, and neighbors."
In conclusion, Al-Makhadhi expressed her hope that "Arab women play a role in supporting their Palestinian sisters, especially those in Gaza."
On the other hand, Yemeni feminist and social activist Noor Mohammed Baa’abad confirmed that "there is significant solidarity with our Palestinian sisters and what they endure, facing genocide against them and their children amid a terrible international silence. However, solidarity communities have been and remain strong."
Baa’abad explained that "Arab feminist solidarity exists in gatherings, through social media, and through some associations. Civil society feminist organizations express what is happening in Gaza and the suffering of Palestinian women."
Coordinator of the International Alliance for Displaced, Migrant, and Refugee Women, Dr. Surtiya Saleh Hussein, emphasized the "importance of Arab women uniting their efforts to advocate for Palestinian women."
Hussein added that "Arab women leaders, whether in the Arab League or internationally, have not issued a condemnation statement for what is happening in Palestine. There is no dedicated media platform for women's suffering, even though they are the ones who endure and bear the brunt before and after wars."
She continued, "Arab women, whether in Palestine, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, or Sudan, are the ones who pay the price of armed conflicts the most. However, they are marginalized and excluded. When they are highlighted, it is done timidly."
