ICSPR Sends Briefing Note on the Situation of Women in Gaza Amid the Ongoing Genocidal War

Date: April 15, 2025

Press Release
ICSPR Sends Briefing Note on the Situation of Women in Gaza Amid the Ongoing Genocidal War

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) has sent a comprehensive legal briefing note to a number of international and UN bodies, shedding light on the catastrophic conditions faced by Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip amid the continued escalation of the Israeli genocidal war. This war has been accompanied by policies of starvation, forced displacement, and the total collapse of basic services.

The briefing note addressed the escalating violations against women in Gaza, which infringe upon their fundamental rights to life, health, security, and human dignity. ICSPR emphasized that Palestinian women are paying a heavy price as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression and the blockade imposed on Gaza for more than 17 months. Women have been subjected to direct killing, injuries, forced displacement, loss of breadwinners, and deprivation of healthcare, food, and protection under unprecedented humanitarian conditions.

The note highlighted that women and girls make up a large portion of the victims, with women and children together accounting for 70% of the total number of martyrs, which has exceeded 50,752. Moreover, 69% of the approximately 115,000 injured are women and children. Over 14,000 people, including thousands of women, remain missing under the rubble or in unknown and coercive conditions.

The briefing further detailed the catastrophic impact of forced displacement, with over two million people having fled their homes, including thousands of women now living without shelter in schools or tents that lack the minimum essentials of life such as water, food, and healthcare. These women are suffering from the spread of disease and malnutrition, especially among pregnant and breastfeeding women, in a setting devoid of privacy or safety.

ICSPR pointed to the total collapse of the healthcare system, which has denied women their basic right to medical care, particularly reproductive and mental health services. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 40% of primary care medications and 51% of maternal and child health medications are completely out of stock. Some women have been forced to give birth under bombardment or in overcrowded school corridors. Cancer patients and women with chronic illnesses are no longer able to receive treatment due to medicine shortages, with about 54% of cancer medications now unavailable.

Additionally, ICSPR reported that women in Gaza suffer from a lack of sanitary products and basic hygiene items in displacement centers, where many are forced to use contaminated cloth in place of sanitary pads. This has led to poisoning and infections, with some girls experiencing early cessation of menstruation due to trauma and malnutrition, and without access to specialized doctors, their health conditions have worsened.

With the collapse of the local economy and loss of income sources, thousands of women who are now the sole breadwinners of their families face harsh economic hardships after losing their husbands or sources of livelihood. ICSPR has documented that more than 13,901 women have lost their providers and are now living in dire conditions. Furthermore, gender-based violence has increased within displacement centers due to psychological stress and social collapse.

ICSPR stressed that these grave violations constitute a blatant breach of international humanitarian law, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Geneva Conventions, and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. These violations require immediate action from the international community and its institutions.

The briefing note was submitted to several key international stakeholders, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the UN Special Envoy, the President of the Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls.

ICSPR urged these parties to take swift action to end the violations committed against Palestinian women, initiate transparent international investigations into war crimes, hold the perpetrators accountable, and ensure the protection of women and girls in Gaza. It also called for the urgent provision of medical, psychological, and humanitarian assistance to restore a minimum level of human dignity stolen by the occupation.

Finally, ICSPR renewed its appeal to all human rights and humanitarian organizations to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities, take serious steps to end the suffering of Palestinian women, and provide them with international protection in accordance with international conventions.