ICSPR Issues a Fact Sheet Entitled The Genocide in Gaza from a Feminist Perspective
Date: 20 September 2025
Press Release
ICSPR Issues a Fact Sheet Entitled: The Genocide in Gaza from a Feminist Perspective
The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) has issued a new fact sheet entitled: “The Genocide in Gaza from a Feminist Perspective”, prepared by researcher Salma Hossam Al-Madhoun. The paper sheds light on the catastrophic consequences of the ongoing genocide and Israeli aggression against women and girls in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, under inhumane conditions where women are subjected to multiple forms of violations that have targeted their right to life, health, food security, and human dignity.
The fact sheet explained that women and girls are among the most affected groups by the occupation’s crimes, as they, together with children, constitute 60% of the civilian victims. More than 12,500 women have been killed, including 9,000 mothers, while 21,182 women have lost their husbands due to the war, leaving them as the sole providers for families deprived of their main breadwinner.
The paper addressed the reality of food insecurity facing women, stating that deaths caused by starvation and malnutrition have exceeded 2,100 since the start of the aggression, including 442 in recent months alone. It further noted that more than 250,000 women and girls suffer from severe hunger, while half a million others face acute malnutrition. Additionally, 97,625 children, including 49,116 girls, experienced severe malnutrition during August 2025. The report stressed that mothers are unable to breastfeed or provide food for their children, leading to the death of thousands due to hunger.
On reproductive health, the fact sheet revealed that more than 41,615 pregnant and breastfeeding women suffer from acute malnutrition, and over 12,000 miscarriages have been recorded as a result of the harsh war conditions and lack of medical care. It also highlighted that hundreds of thousands of women and girls face serious challenges in managing menstrual hygiene due to the severe shortage of sanitary pads and the lack of privacy in shelters and displacement centers.
The paper also examined the psychological and health impacts on women, noting that 75% suffer from chronic depression, 62% from insomnia, and 65% from nightmares and acute stress disorders. Meanwhile, more than 162,000 women face life-threatening non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, without access to the necessary health care, placing them at grave risk of complications or death.
With regard to gender-based violence, the fact sheet documented, based on UN reports and field testimonies, systematic violations committed by Israeli forces since October 2023, including rape, sexual torture, humiliation, and arbitrary detention, all carried out within an organized policy of collective punishment and the dismantling of the Palestinian social fabric.
On displacement and economic security, the report stated that 92% of housing units, in addition to hospitals and infrastructure, have been destroyed or severely damaged, displacing more than 1.4 million Palestinians who are now in urgent need of shelter. However, only 1,175 tents entered Gaza since August 2025, an insufficient figure that does not meet the minimum needs. The report underscored that displaced women face harsher realities, including the absence of safety and privacy, which expose them to heightened risks of gender-based violence.
Legally and geopolitically, the fact sheet emphasized that what is taking place in Gaza amounts to genocide under international law, in addition to war crimes and crimes against humanity, carried out within the framework of prohibited collective punishment such as cutting off electricity and water and imposing severe restrictions on humanitarian aid. The report noted that the Independent International Commission of Inquiry confirmed in its September 2025 report that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, documenting the grave violations against women and civilians. The report further stressed that Israeli forces have violated all provisions of international humanitarian law, including UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which requires the protection of women during armed conflicts and their inclusion in peace and security processes.
The fact sheet concluded by affirming that women and girls in the Gaza Strip are paying a heavy price as a result of Israel’s genocidal policies and collective punishment. It called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities towards protecting civilians, particularly women and children, through a series of urgent recommendations. These include: working seriously to end the genocide and lift the blockade immediately; establishing safe centers that provide medical, psychological, and legal support for women; ensuring safe humanitarian corridors for the delivery of aid and medical supplies, especially reproductive health materials; strengthening social protection and ensuring the participation of women in decision-making, particularly in humanitarian response; providing food vouchers and supporting small-scale projects led by women; and activating accountability mechanisms and imposing sanctions on Israel to stop its ongoing crimes against women in Gaza.
ICSPR affirms that this fact sheet reveals the magnitude of the compounded tragedy faced by women in the Gaza Strip, which goes far beyond numbers and statistics, representing a deep human catastrophe that requires urgent and effective international action to preserve the remaining life and dignity of Palestinian women and girls.
