A statement issued by 128 countries, excluding the US, all European countries, Canada, and Mexico, expressed solidarity with women and girls in Palestine in their current struggle for their lives and future.
The statement, delivered by Ahmed Ihab Jamal al-Din, Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations in Geneva during the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, on behalf of 128 countries, addressed the situation of women and girls in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women warned that the principles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women face challenges in Gaza, urging Israel to allow the provision of medical supplies, medicines, water, food, fuel, shelter, and clothing to all civilians, with a special focus on the needs of women and girls.
The statement pointed out that “more than a million women and girls in Gaza have been displaced several times, and women and children accounted for about 70% of the fatalities,” noting that Palestinian women are not only fighting to survive the airstrikes carried out by Israeli forces but also facing unique struggles in an attempt to care for their personal health, representing another level of suffering.
Additionally, there has been a sharp rise in malnutrition among girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers, with all residents at risk of imminent famine.
The statement also addressed the “alarm expressed by the mechanism of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council about the violations of human rights committed against Palestinian women and girls, highlighting reports of deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places they have sought refuge or while fleeing, in addition to horrifying reports of sexual assaults and rape in detention facilities.”
The Permanent Representative emphasized that the situation in Gaza constitutes a major humanitarian crisis and a crisis in the field of human rights and public health, tarnishing our humanity’s reputation, pointing out that the current situation requires immediate intervention from international institutions, as well as the attention of every woman and girl around the world.
He stressed that “those responsible for these crimes must be held accountable, calling on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to collect evidence that can assist in conducting an independent, impartial, speedy, comprehensive, and effective investigation to bring all perpetrators to justice.
He also called on all United Nations agencies to cooperate with this investigation, concluding the statement by emphasizing the importance of stopping this disaster.
