On International Women’s Day, the media office of the Gaza government released harrowing statistics detailing the catastrophic impact of Israel’s ongoing genocide on Palestinian women in the Strip. The report paints a grim picture of suffering, loss, and resilience amid relentless violence and systemic oppression.  

According to the statement, 12,316 Palestinian women have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of the genocide, leaving 13,901 women widowed and without family providers. Around 50,000 pregnant women have given birth in inhumane conditions, while 17,000 mothers have lost their children. Additionally, 162,000 women are suffering from infectious diseases, and 2,000 women and girls now live with permanent disabilities due to amputations. Dozens of women have also been arrested, enduring physical and psychological torture in Israeli detention centers.  

The report underscores that Palestinian women in Gaza are enduring slow death due to starvation, thirst, and lack of healthcare, exacerbated by a seven-day blockade preventing aid from reaching those in need. In the West Bank, women face similar horrors, with thousands displaced and hundreds arrested amid ongoing assaults on cities and refugee camps.  

The Gaza government media office condemned the international community’s silence, stating that Palestinian women are “in desperate need of defending their rights and life necessities, rather than being killed, shot at, arrested, or forcibly displaced in front of everyone’s eyes.” It praised Palestinian women as “the tree of our struggle,” highlighting their sacrifices as mothers, wives, daughters, martyrs, wounded individuals, and prisoners.  

Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, echoed these concerns, stating that Israel’s attacks on Palestinian women are part of a “systematic strategy of genocide.” She cited UN data revealing that 800,000 women have been forcibly displaced, while one million women and girls face severe food insecurity. Abortion rates have surged by 300% due to trauma, inadequate healthcare, and constant bombings.  

The report calls on the international community and women’s rights organizations to take immediate action to end the Israeli occupation and protect Palestinian women from ongoing crimes. It emphasizes the urgent need for dignity, freedom, and justice for women who continue to endure unimaginable suffering in the face of genocide.