Introduction
The goal of the virtual event, which the CEIRPP arranged alongside the Commission on the Status of Women’s annual conference (CSW68), is to support Palestinian women’s rights and give them a platform to share information about their status under occupation. The Committee hopes to have a conversation about how the war in Gaza has affected Palestinian women and children in particular by holding this event.
Palestinians in Gaza have been subjected to the most severe and unparalleled levels of armed fighting, a siege, and appalling living conditions since October 7, 2023. Approximately 1 million women and girls are thought to have been forced from their homes as a result of the violence in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of over 29,000 Palestinians, 70% of whom were women or children. According to the majority of UN agencies working in the Gaza Strip, women, children, and newborns in Gaza are disproportionately suffering from the intensification of hostilities, both as casualties and as a result of having less access to health care.
As the primary caregivers for the majority of families in Gaza, women experience firsthand the devastating psychological effects of intergenerational trauma on entire families as well as the unspeakable burden that the lack of clean water and sanitation services, shelter, homes, hospitals, and medical treatment, schools, universities, and places of worship places on their health and safety. The other silent casualty of this conflict is the education of Gaza’s youth, since over 625,000 children have been robbed of instructors and secure learning environments, and the majority of UNRWA schools have been converted into shelters.
The UN Human Rights Office is worried about how the Palestinian population in north Gaza may be destroyed.
In addition to illegal interference with humanitarian aid and orders leading to forced displacement, the UN Human Rights Office is growingly concerned that the way the Israeli military is conducting hostilities in north Gaza may be causing the Palestinian population in Gaza’s northernmost governorate to be destroyed through death and displacement. This is especially true near Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, and Jabalya.
The Israeli military has been ordering the evacuation of the whole governorate and implementing measures that make life in north Gaza impossible for Palestinians for the past two weeks, starting on October 6. Between October 1 and October 14, Israeli forces blocked the entry of all necessary supplies into northern Gaza, worsening the already severe situation where food and fuel supplies were running low and many people were in danger of starving. A small amount of aid appears to have reached the north after October 15, but it is insufficient to meet the populace’s needs.
The Israeli military has persisted in bombing and attacking the area, particularly in and around Jabalya Camp, despite its demand that all people evacuate north Gaza. It is becoming quite risky for civilians to escape as a result of these attacks; in recent weeks, the UN Human Rights Office has received instances of Palestinians being targeted during their escape. A lot of Palestinians in the north have also voiced concern that if they leave, they won’t be able to go back to their homes in northern Gaza.
Along with demolishing residential buildings and attacking schools that were acting as shelters, Israeli troops have caused a great deal of injuries among civilians and severely reduced the amount of shelter that is available as winter draws near. The Gaza Ministry of Health reports that on October 19, at least 87 Palestinians were murdered in a single hit on a residential building in Beit Lahiya. It appears that women and children make up a large number of the casualties, continuing the trend of this escalation.
The civilian populace in north Gaza is under considerably more strain as a result of the Israeli military’s renewed attacks on two of the three primary hospitals there. In addition to being destroyed by earlier IDF attacks, all three hospitals are also experiencing fuel and supply shortages. Life-saving efforts, such as the retrieval of Palestinians buried in debris, are impeded by Israeli military restrictions and attacks, according to rescue personnel and medics. Due to the disruption of internet connections in north Gaza since October 19 and the deaths of at least three Palestinian journalists in the past two weeks, there is now less information available concerning living conditions in the region.
Tens of Palestinian men are reportedly being detained by the IDF, which has sparked concerns that they might be the victims of arbitrary imprisonment, torture, or other cruel treatment. This is especially concerning in light of prior abuses that the UN Human Rights Office has confirmed. Israel needs to make the identities of everyone detained public as soon as possible and make sure that their relatives and attorneys can visit them.
We stress that everyone involved needs to respect and keep civilians safe. Palestinian armed groups must take all reasonable measures to safeguard the civilian population and civilian objects under their control from the consequences of attacks, including refraining from purposefully co-locating military objectives with civilians or civilian items. Israeli troops are nonetheless required to uphold the IHL criteria of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attacks, even in cases where Palestinian armed organizations have disregarded them.
The UN Human Rights Office reminds the State of Israel of the interim measures mandated by the International Court of Justice on January 26, 2024, directing it to take all appropriate action to stop any acts concerning Palestinians in Gaza that fall under the purview of Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Additionally, it serves as a reminder to Israel that it is the occupying authority and is responsible for ensuring that the people of Gaza have access to food, medical supplies, and shelter, as mandated by the International Court of Justice.
Gaza’s children require life-saving assistance.
Children in the Gaza Strip are suffering greatly as a result of the conflict. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has estimated that over 14,000 children have been murdered, and many more have been injured. There aren’t any secure areas. The effects of the horrific war traumas that all of Gaza’s children have experienced will last a lifetime.
Nine out of ten Palestinians living in Gaza are thought to have been internally displaced, or approximately 1.9 million people. Among them, children make up half. They don’t have adequate access to fuel, food, water, or medication. Their families have been split up and their homes demolished. Numerous children have experienced repeated displacement, losing their homes, parents, and other close relatives. They must be safeguarded, as well as the other services they depend on, such as shelter and healthcare.
Imprints on the Mind: The effects of the Israeli Army’s invasion of West Bank cities on Palestinian inhabitants
Synopsis
Background: It is becoming more widely acknowledged that the dehumanizing effects of battle and war pose major risks to human health and rights. This study looks at how the Israeli Army invasion on March 29, 2002, and the curfews that followed—which might last up to 45 days straight—impacted inhabitants in five West Bank villages.
Methods: A 10-item scale was developed through focus groups to gauge how the invasion affected people’s social and health-related quality of life. The scale measures housing, financial, and health-related difficulties as a combination of three constructs. An assessment comprising demographic inquiries and a 10-item social/health scale was given to a stratified random sample of the five towns’ residents.
Results: the invasion resulted in significant damage, food and money shortages, civilian internal displacement, psychological suffering, and major disruptions to essential services, such as health care. Jenin was impacted the most negatively overall. According to the subscales, Bethlehem had the most financial troubles, Ramallah the most health-related problems, and Jenin the most overall home damage.
Conclusions: The loss of community infrastructure and personal stress brought on by service disruptions and the unfulfilled requirements of basic human beings are inevitable consequences of conflict and war for civilians. This scale can help relief workers allocate resources more effectively and provide greater information on the needs of people in conflict-torn places than typical damage assessments, which concentrate on collective physical harm.
According to the UN human rights office, it is “profoundly shocked” by the effects of the Israeli operation in central Gaza, which freed four Hamas hostages, on civilians.
Hundreds of Palestinians were killed and injured on Saturday in the crowded Nuseirat refugee camp, according to Palestinian health officials. According to Israel’s military, less than 100 people died.
UN shocked’ by the effect of Israeli hostage rescue on Gaza civilian population
According to UN spokesman Jeremy Laurence, the Israeli military’s actions “seriously call into question whether the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution… were respected” and may constitute war crimes.
Furthermore, he warned that “putting the lives of Palestinian civilians, as well as the hostages themselves, at added risk” by keeping hostages in populated areas could result in war crimes prosecutions for Palestinian armed groups. Israel’s UN mission in Geneva filed a “slander” complaint against the UN human rights office. “The toll of this war on civilians is first and foremost the product of Hamas’s deliberate strategy to maximize civilian harm,” stated a statement.
“Those who continue to shield Hamas terrorists, including [the UN human rights office], are complicit in the suffering of Palestinians and Israelis alike.” The Israeli military has said on numerous occasions that it complies with international law. Hamas did not respond right away.
The four hostages, Noa Argamani, Almog Meir, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv, were set free on Saturday. They were being held in two apartment buildings located roughly 200 meters (656 feet) apart in Nuseirat, an old urban camp for refugees that has experienced a surge in displaced people since the beginning of the war.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that Ms. Argamani’s Hamas guards were ambushed by surprise and swiftly executed by Israeli soldiers. However, the simultaneous attempt to liberate Mr. Ziv, Mr. Kozlov, and Mr. Meir from the second building set off a deadly gunfight with their guards, which claimed the life of a senior Israeli police officer.
According to the IDF, fighters carrying rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns opened fire on the commandos as they fled to the coast. Israeli naval vessels, artillery, and planes launched heavy attacks on the region in retaliation. According to the health ministry controlled by Hamas in Gaza, the operation resulted in the deaths of 274 Palestinians and the injuries of 698 others. Its statistics do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
In Conclusion
The effects on citizens in Palestine have been severe and catastrophic. Many people have been displaced, many people have died, and daily life has been disrupted due to decades of conflict. Economic prospects have dramatically decreased, and access to basic utilities, healthcare, and education has been seriously impacted. The population’s psychological trauma, which affects children the most, has long-term effects on coming generations. To lessen civilian suffering and create a path toward security and recovery in the region, peacekeeping, and humanitarian relief efforts continue to be vital.
