Gaza (Union)
The United Nations called for an immediate end to the war in the Gaza Strip, and a transition to a just and sustainable political solution that includes everyone, noting that Israel violated the principle of proportionality and the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, and that the presence of a “factional” target does not make an entire neighborhood a military target, documented in At the same time, more than 10,000 women have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7.
The Special Representative of the United Nations Women’s Office in Palestine, Maris Guimond, said after a week-long visit to Gaza that what is happening in the Strip is a “war on women,” given the high number of bombing victims among Palestinian women.
Guimond said: “I returned from Gaza on Tuesday, and this was the first time I had returned to the Strip since the beginning of the war. The last time I was there was on October 4.”
She continued: “We have been watching the war on television for 9 months. We have a team in Gaza and partners with whom we have been in contact, but I do not think that gives us the complete truth until you find yourself surrounded by what the war caused in Gaza from the moment you entered the Strip.”
Guimond said: Women in Gaza often asked her when the war would end and when they could return to their homes, despite the destruction of many homes.
She pointed out that “the women of Gaza face daily difficulties in obtaining basic services, and women also bear the additional burden of caring for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, whose number has increased due to the war.”
She spoke about the efforts made by UN Women to support women in Gaza and women-led organizations in the Strip, which she said “play a crucial role in supporting society and its resilience.”
She indicated that despite the difficult circumstances, these organizations continue to provide vital services, including psychological and social support.
Guimond spoke of “vast areas of tents and very crowded temporary housing,” noting that “the area of the Strip is 365 square kilometers in which more than 2.2 million people live, and it is now witnessing displacement to a smaller area than ever before.”
She continued: “It is clear that wars affect all members of society, but we have rarely witnessed this level of killing and injuring women.”
Regarding this, Guimond said: “We talked a few weeks ago that more than 10,000 women were killed, and therefore when you look at the numbers of deaths and injuries among women, you find that they are unprecedented, and for this reason we talk a lot about it being a war on women.”
She stressed that “the ceasefire will be very important. Every day that this war continues will only bring more destruction and killing. It must stop. We need to move to a just and sustainable political solution that includes everyone.”
In this context, a UN report stressed that the presence of “clear targets” from factions in a specific area in the Gaza Strip does not make an entire neighborhood a military target for Israel, because that violates the principle of proportionality and the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians.
This came in an assessment published by the United Nations Human Rights Office of 6 major attacks launched by the Israeli army in Gaza last year, which led to a large number of civilian casualties and widespread destruction of civilian facilities.
According to the report: “The 6 attacks included the suspected use of guided bombs between October 9 and December 2, 2023 against residential buildings, a school, refugee camps, and a market.”
The UN office said: “This raises serious concerns regarding respect for the laws of war, including the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution during an attack.”
The report stated, “The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said that it had verified the death of 218 people as a result of these attacks, and stated that the information it had received indicates that the number of deaths may be much higher.”
The statement quoted the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, as saying: “It appears that the rule for choosing methods and means of warfare that avoid or at least minimize civilian harm has been constantly violated in the Israeli bombing campaign.”
“The series of Israeli raids, of which the six incidents are examples, indicates that the Israeli military may have repeatedly violated basic principles of the laws of war,” the report concluded.
The report stated that “unlawful targeting, when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population, in accordance with the policy of a state or organization, may also involve the commission of crimes against humanity.”
He added that “civilian lives and infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law, and that this law explains the clear obligations of parties to armed conflicts in order to make the protection of civilians a priority.”
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