Palestinian women's struggle unveiled in shocking numbers

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Mar 2024 18:23
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On the eve of International Women's Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics highlights Israeli violence against Palestinian women across occupied Palestine.

Palestinian women react after their home was hit by an Israeli strike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024 (AP)

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that "Israel" killed 9,000 Palestinian women since the beginning of the Israeli genocidal war on the Palestinian people of the Gaza Strip.

This comes at a time when the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that "Israel" has killed a confirmed total of 30,717 Palestinians, since the start of the genocide against the Strip on October 7 of last year.

Women in Gaza: An Israeli target

The report, which reviewed the conditions of Palestinian women on the eve of International Women's Day, indicated that 75% of the total number of 72,156 injuries were women, while women and children also constituted 70% of the 7,000 cases of missing persons.

Reports from Gaza further indicate that approximately two million people were forced to evacuate their homes, with half of them being women.

According to the report, Palestinian women also make up 49% of the total population across all of occupied Palestine, with a count of 2.76 million women as of mid-2024 (1.63 million in the West Bank and 1.13 million in Gaza).

The health situation in Gaza reveals significant challenges for pregnant women, with approximately 60,000 expectant mothers in the region experiencing around 180 births daily. Approximately 15% of these women are at risk of complications that are difficult to address due to a lack of medical care. The incidence of premature births has risen by about one-third, attributed to factors like stress and trauma, resulting in a 300% increase in miscarriages.

Experts are shocked about reports of #Palestinian women and girls being arbitrarily executed in #Gaza along with their family members, even while fleeing.#Palestine #GazaGenocide
1/2 pic.twitter.com/6xWM21MpgG
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 3, 2024

Pregnant women in Gaza grapple with malnutrition and dehydration amid severe food shortages. Many of their newborns are underweight and face health issues. Mothers who breastfeed encounter reduced milk production due to malnutrition, creating financial challenges in affording and purchasing formula. Consequently, mothers resort to inadequate or even unsafe alternatives for breastfeeding.

Women's health in Gaza has been adversely affected by Israeli aggression, leading to a scarcity of sanitary supplies and reliance on primitive options. Some women resort to contraceptive pills to maintain sexual and reproductive health. The lack of medication and the unavailability of numerous feminine hygiene products contribute to female infections, negatively impacting both mental and physical well-being.

Women in the West Bank were not spared Israeli violence

Regarding the West Bank, the Central Bureau of Statistics mentioned that four Palestinian women were killed out of a total of 423 Palestinians since October 7.

In 2023, the report stressed that 300 women were detained in the West Bank, including 200 since the start of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza. In al-Quds, the occupation arrested 165 women out of which 84 were detained after the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the launch of the Israeli genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Israeli prisons: hell on earth for female detainees

The report also emphasized the lack of accurate data regarding the crime of enforced disappearance in Gaza, highlighting that the occupation persists in implementing it against Gaza detainees.

Data from the Prisoners' Affairs Authority indicated that "Israel" continues to detain 56 female prisoners, including 44 from the West Bank, 3 from Gaza, and 9 from the occupied Palestinian territories of 1948.

Among them are 5 sentenced prisoners, 40 detainees, and 11 administratively detained women, with two of them being minors.

While the Israelis continue to search for a single piece of evidence to back their false narratives of the beheaded babies and cases of rape and sexual violence by the Palestinian Resistance, #UN experts are saying that there are “credible allegations” of arbitrary detention,… pic.twitter.com/twl2AcP5aX
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 22, 2024

The report emphasized that pregnant and lactating Palestinian women are more vulnerable to health risks. During crises, women tend to reduce their food consumption, exposing themselves to the risk of malnutrition and inadequate nutrition. Pregnant and lactating women are more susceptible to health risks, such as birth defects or early infant mortality.

Israeli war on Gaza enters 153rd day, five killed in shelling on Rafah

The Israeli occupation forces bombarded on Thursday, March 7, areas in south and central Gaza as its aggression on the Strip entered its 153rd day.

The Israeli strikes coincided with intense confrontations between Palestinian Resistance fighters and the raiding Israeli forces in Gaza, particularly in the southern regions of the Strip.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent confirmed that five Palestinians were martyred in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the al-Jenenah neighborhood east of Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli airstrikes caused a widespread internet outage in the area.

Israeli artillery shelling also bombarded the outskirts of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.