UN Experts Ask Security Council To Protect Women And Girls In Gaza

Israeli military operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

A group of independent human rights experts on Wednesday urged the UN Security Council to immediately deal with Israel's unprecedented attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, reaffirming its commitment to women's agenda, peace and security.

"Towards an open debate by the Council on the protection of civilians, chaired by Greece, we urge meaningful discussions of the serious and gender impacts of the ongoing genocide on women and girls in the trapped Gaza Strip," the experts said.

Experts stressed the attack had destroyed every aspect of civil life, with clear gender consequences, Palestinian girls and women of all ages had suffered enormous numbers, while Israel continued to block important humanitarian access.

They note "more than 28,000 women and girls have been killed, thousands injured, and nearly one million people displaced. Nearly 13,000 women are the only breadwinners for their families. The entire population remains at risk of starvation. Nearly 71,000 children and 17,000 pregnant and lactating women will require immediate treatment due to severe malnutrition in the near future."

They continued, "Women continue to suffer enormous losses while caring for families with limited access to water, medicines, adequate foods, sanitation products, or sexual and reproductive health care."

Experts note that women and girls with disabilities face a very acute risk, disproportionate neglect, increased exposure to violence, and significant barriers to accessing essential services.

"The destruction of civilian infrastructure and extreme suffering experienced by women and girls demands immediate and sustainable action by the Security Council. The destruction that befell women, girls and the entire community is not a coincidence, but is the result of Israel's intentional policies and actions. The murder of thousands of women and girls can be coercion of intentional living conditions designed to cause physical, overall or partially destruction of the Palestinian people," the experts said.

Experts note that although Palestinian women and girls in Gaza are victims of this indiscriminate and disproportionate military attack, women - as journalists, medical workers, teachers, lawyers and aid workers - continue to provide care, documentation and resistance despite enormous losses.

"Women and other children are asked to walk long distances to learn from distance, although they are afraid of bombings along the way. They are holding on to their uniforms and books, still hoping to return to the classrooms even when those places are no longer safe," the experts said.

Experts also repeated calls for a permanent ceasefire and the need for protection and accountability measures, and urged the Council to respond to the impact of a crisis specific to gender.

They noted that women's commitments, peace, and security should not be excluded from the core discussion of peace and security.

Experts warn, "in Gaza, the rules of involvement and basic protection of civilians have been violated intentionally, consistently, and strikingly."

"If the Security Council fails to address this major failure in compliance and accountability, and what does this mean for humanity and multilateralism, the basics of international law risk losing their meaning," the experts added.