Palestinian institutions reported on Monday that over 90 Palestinian women are being held in Israeli prisons and detention centers, where they face systematic violations, including physical and psychological torture, starvation, and denial of medical treatment. This was stated in a joint statement by the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Al-Dumair Institution, and the Palestinian Authority's Commission of Prisoners' Affairs on the occasion of the Palestinian Women's National Day, observed annually on October 26.
The Palestinian institutions revealed that 22 of the detained women are held under administrative detention, without charge or trial. They emphasized that the Israeli occupation's targeting of Palestinian women has escalated since the start of the war on Gaza in 2023, with detainees facing a range of abuses, including physical and psychological torture, and humiliation. The institutions also documented cases of sexual assault, including strip searches and harassment, by female prison guards.
According to the Palestinian institutions, the detention conditions for Palestinian women have significantly deteriorated since the start of the war on Gaza, with increased violations and intensified methods of intimidation. Detainees have reported being subjected to repeated raids and assaults on their cells, forced to lie on the ground while being handcuffed, and facing threats of rape and degrading insults. These abuses are part of a broader pattern of collective punishment and pressure on Palestinian families.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Women's Affairs reported that Israeli forces have killed over 12,500 women in Gaza and 28 others in the occupied West Bank since October 2023. The report also stated that women make up 49% of the Palestinian population, with 1.69 million women in the West Bank and 1.06 million in Gaza. The institutions highlighted that the war on Gaza has led to significant changes in family structures, with 28,560 women losing their husbands and 18% of families in Gaza now headed by women.
The report also documented that 42 female journalists have been killed, and women make up 14% of the total number of injured, which stands at 175,416. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Women's Affairs emphasized that the Israeli occupation's actions have had a devastating impact on Palestinian women and families, with widespread destruction and displacement.
A UN-appointed independent international commission of inquiry has accused Israeli forces of committing crimes against humanity, including the crime of genocide, in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. The commission's report stated that Israeli authorities and security forces have targeted Palestinian children, leading to the commission of genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza and war crimes in the West Bank.
The commission's chair, Srinivasan Muralidhar, stated that the evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli security forces, with continued disregard for international law and the protection afforded to Palestinian children. The commission's findings have been rejected by the Israeli occupation authorities.
Key points
- Over 90 Palestinian women detained in Israeli prisons face systematic violations
- Israeli forces have killed over 12,500 women in Gaza and 28 others in the occupied West Bank since October 2023
- A UN-appointed commission has accused Israeli forces of committing crimes against humanity, including genocide, in the occupied West Bank and Gaza
