Executive Summary

The ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip has compounded several humanitarian and legal violations, particularly inrelation to the reproductive rights of Palestinian women. Since the launch of its military offensive in October 2023, Israelhas systematically targeted Palestinian women in ways that undermine their ability to survive, give birth, and raisechildren. More than 12,300 women have been killed, 4,700 women and children are missing, and approximately 800,000women have been forcibly displaced. An estimated one million women and girls now suffer from acute food insecurity.Israel’s actions constitute a deliberate attempt to impair the reproductive capacities of Palestinian women, aimed atdismantling the future of Palestinian society. Through the bombing of shelters, destruction of hospitals, blockading ofmedical and hygiene supplies, and attacks on fertility clinics and maternity wards, Israel’s policy of erasure is notincidental, it is intentional.

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Executive Summary

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is vital inproviding humanitarian aid, education, and health services to Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon,Syria, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Beyond its humanitarian role, UNRWA represents aninternational commitment to Palestinian refugees' right of return, as established in UN General AssemblyResolution 194 in 1948. However, Israel has long sought to undermine the agency through financial, political,and military means.Recent Israeli actions have escalated, with the Israeli Knesset passing legislation banning UNRWAoperations in areas under Israeli control, effectively revoking its legal status. Concurrently, Israel hasintensified military attacks on UNRWA facilities. In the Gaza Strip since October 2023, Israeli forces havetargeted 310 UNRWA sites, destroying schools and killing 273 UNRWA employees alongside hundreds ofcivilians sheltering in its facilities. Throughout the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military has been turningUNRWA facilities into military bases and detention centers, and has closed UNRWA’s headquarters in EastJerusalem. These actions violate multiple international legal agreements and aim to erase Palestinian refugeeidentity and their legal rights.

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The shocking human cost that occupation has taken on Palestinian women is laid bare in research published today. Combining research, extensive surveys, and first-hand testimonies from over 40 Palestinian women, Palestinian Women: The Disproportionate Impact of The Israeli Occupation provides new insight into the gendered experience of occupation, looking into four issues in particular:

• women refugees
• the impact of residency revocation on Palestinian women in Jerusalem
• the experience of women prisoners
• Gazans’ access to health

Co-authored by four Palestinian NGOs – the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH), Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD), the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), and Women Media and Development (TAM), the report includes detailed findings that demonstrate how the oppression occupation has permeated women’s daily lives, and the particular impact is has had on women in Palestinian refugee camps, Palestinian women living in Jerusalem, women prisoners, and residents of Gaza who require health services.

The impact on refugee women

Researchers spoke to 500 Palestinian refugee women from 12 Palestinian camps (7 in the West Bank, 5 in Gaza). Their findings included the following:

• A third of women surveyed had been directly exposed to physical assault by Israeli Occupation Forces. 9% had been exposed to threats of being attacked by police dogs during Israeli night raids on their homes.
• Over a third (37%) of respondents had been exposed to detention or interrogation, while 38% said that they or members of their households had been exposed to verbal abuse during Israeli army raids, at checkpoints or while visiting religious places.
• Nearly a quarter (24%) were forced to live in shelters or with extended family. 22% were forced to live under unhealthy conditions. 13% stated that the female and male members of their families were separated as a result of having to live in shelters.
• More than one in five (21%) had been exposed to beatings or tear gas at Israeli checkpoints while they were pregnant. 4% reported that they aborted or gave birth at Israeli checkpoints.
• The majority (64%- 321 cases) had been unable to visit religious or recreational places because of Occupation restrictions.

Jerusalem: Residency Revocation and Family Reunification

According to official figures, 14,595 Palestinians from East Jerusalem had their residency status revoked between 1967 and the end of 2016.

Through residency revocations, Israel has separated husbands from wives, parents from children, and extended families from one another, causing traumatic complications for women attempting to remain with their families in both Jerusalem and the West Bank.

This leads to traumatic fears of separation from children for mothers and an entrenching of patriarchal practices across society. Palestinian women living in Jerusalem lose residency rights if they get divorced or their husbands remarry. Limiting their access to justice, female victims of domestic violence fear reporting abuse to authorities in case they are forcibly transferred away from their children.

Women prisoners

Since the beginning of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine in 1967, approximately 10,000 Palestinian women have been arrested and detained by Israeli military forces. According to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs’ 2017 annual report, 1,467 children were arrested last year.

Our researchers spoke to prisoners who experienced physical and psychological torture at arrest and imprisonment, and traumatic, gendered treatment, including:

• Women denied access to menstrual products while detained
• A woman arrested while pregnant who gave birth while chained to a prison hospital bed
• Ex-prisoners who report being subjected to rape and death threats during interrogation, including a girl in of 15-years old threatened with rape
• Women who were subjected to frequent forced and violent strip searches
• A prisoner who reported toothache, only to have the wrong tooth removed

Access to Health in Gaza

Israel exercises strict control Gaza’s borders, a policy of ‘actual authority’, constituting continued occupation, despite the withdrawal of its permanent presence. This control in particular affects those who need medical treatment outside of Gaza’s struggling health system, who require permission to leave. The report shows that the rate of approval applications is falling year-by-year:

• 92.5% of applications were successful in 2012
• 88.7% in 2013
• 82.4% in 2014
• 77.5% in 2015
• 62.1% in 2016

Of the 26,282 permit applications submitted by patients aiming to exit through Erez in 2016, 8,242 (31.4%) were delayed. Many applicants received no response from border authorities, even after lawyers filed formal applications on their behalf. These delays regularly extend months and years beyond medical appointments, worsening already life-threatening diseases and in some cases resulting in death.

Read the full report here, or download it here:

Palestinian Women – The Disproportionate Impact of the Israeli Occupation

Jerusalem, 13 June 2007- United Nations organisations working in the occupied Palestinian territory, are gravely concerned about the spiralling violence in the Gaza Strip, which has claimed 59 lives and caused 273 injuries since 9 June. This includes two UNRWA staff members who were killed today, one while on duty. UN organisations are particularly troubled by reports of attacks on hospitals, ambulances and extra-judicial killings, which raise concerns of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

The UN is also concerned about the humanitarian consequences arising from the heavy street fighting which is preventing the civilian population from reaching essential health services and food outlets. The fighting is also hampering the UN’s ability to deliver emergency services, mainly food and health assistance. Militants have also engaged in gun battles inside two UNRWA facilities.

“There is a need for immediate efforts to restore calm, protect the lives of innocent Palestinians and ensure the safe and secure distribution of emergency aid,” said Kevin Kennedy, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the oPt. “The UN remains committed to continuing its humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip so that Palestinians in need can continue to receive assistance. The ongoing violence is putting our operations at risk.” he added.

United Nations organisations call upon all parties engaged in the current hostilities to exercise their responsibilities under international humanitarian and human rights law and refrain from attacks on civilians, humanitarian institutions and carrying out extra-judicial killings.

At the same time, UN organisations call upon the Government of Israel and Palestinians to facilitate access to and from the Gaza Strip for humanitarian staff and relief supplies and ensure the continued operation of commercial and passenger crossing points.

For more information please contact
Juliette Touma, OCHA, 054-81555-46, 02-582-9962, toumaj@un.org
Allegra Pacheco, OCHA, 02-582-9962, pacheco6@un.org

Government Workers’ Strikes Escalate

During April further strikes, including amongst PA doctors, nurses, teachers and local municipal workers, continue to impact the provision of essential services. The strikes have continued in response to the non-regular payment of salaries.

Health sector strike:

The PA health sector remains on strike for the third month in the West Bank (a previous strike lasted for more than three months in 2006/07). The striking unions also announced an escalation in the strike from 28 April as no agreement was reached with the PA. The escalation calls for the closure of all Primary Healthcare Clinics (PHC), including for the limited immunisation services that until now had been provided every two weeks. Life saving treatment is only provided at hospitals.

Local municipalities strike:

In early April, local municipal employees in the Gaza Strip announced a reduction in services and two weeks later conducted a three-day strike (between 16 and 18 April) to protest the non-payment of their salaries. Strike action was suspended after the Palestinian (PM) Prime Minister agreed to provide USD 1 million in immediate cash assistance (however, staff salaries alone are estimated at USD 2 million per month). Striking workers demand payment of their salaries and for the PA to establish an emergency fund for municipalities.

The situation remains very volatile. A renewal of the strike could result in the accumulation of garbage and other hazardous waste on Gazan streets as well as impacting the functioning of the sewage and water networks. Over the course of the short strike in April thousands of tonnes of solid waste built up on Gaza city streets.

Threats of and rolling strikes in other sectors:

All PA employees held a one-day warning strike in the first week of April. In addition, PA teachers and Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) staff conducted full and partial strikes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip throughout the month.

Rising poverty and declining access to services in the wake of the PA institutional crisis.

A recent survey commissioned by Oxfam has found that 80% of the 667 households interviewed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip reported that their household income had been reduced in the year following the PA institutional crisis.1 More than half of the households surveyed said they had received allowances through the TIM. In Gaza, 53% said that their household income had fallen by more than half and 21% said their household income had stopped altogether (results were slightly less dramatic in the West Bank at 42% and 14% respectively).

The survey also found that households were resorting to negative coping mechanisms such as borrowing money, selling possessions, reducing healthcare and food consumption and taking children out of school. 88% of people interviewed also reported that their access to services had been affected, 52% stating that it had reduced by more than half. The survey also found that Palestinians are very pessimistic about their immediate future with 40% predicating that their situation would get worse.

Severe agricultural losses in Hebron Governorate

An unusual late frost this month in the Hebron governorate caused massive losses in the agricultural sector, particularly in the areas of Beit Ummar, Halhul, Hebron City, Sa’air and Wad Al Aroub, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA)2. Grape vines were the worst hit, impacting approximately 4,000 hectares of vineyards (or 70% of the total cultivated area for grapes). At least 30% of almond groves (covering an area of 2,700 hectares) were impacted. In addition, an estimated 2,000 hectares of crops including wheat grains and legumes were affected while losses in irrigated vegetables have reached 100% in some areas, especially in Al Beqa’ region, east of Hebron City.3 An estimated 6,000 of the poorest farmers have been impacted by the losses, with their situation exacerbated with the limited response of the PA due to the ongoing institutional crisis. FAO and the MoA are currently conducting a comprehensive assessment on the losses, to determine the appropriate response.

Continuous closures in and around Nablus city: expansion of Huwwara checkpoint

Palestinian residents of Nablus city continue to face severe closures as Nablus is encircled by eight IDF checkpoints, six Israeli settlements, two IDF military bases and a network of roads reserved primarily for Israeli use.

During April, only 10% of Nablus buses (22 out of 220) and 7% of Nablus taxis (150 out of 2,250) had permits to access and use the checkpoints. Only 50 private Palestinian cars were permitted to go in and out of the city. Consequently, most Palestinians go through the checkpoints on foot, and depend on two different vehicles – one at each side of the checkpoint – for their transportation. The IDF state that the closures are necessary to protect Israeli civilians.

The two main checkpoints, Huwwara and Beit Iba face long queues and delays. The IDF have recently started extensive construction work to expand Huwwara checkpoint into a terminal that will handle 700 people per hour according to the Israeli DCL in Nablus. The project is scheduled to finish in late summer 2007 and will cost approximately USD 2.3 million.

According to the IDF plan, there will be four lanes – three exit lanes and one entry lane – and a large parking lot on each side. Beit Iba checkpoint is also planned to be expanded although not to the same extent as Huwwara. According to the IDF, the upgrade to the checkpoints will reduce queues and delays. The UN remains concerned that IDF construction will make these internal checkpoints in the West Bank permanent.

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Rising Death Toll - Concern Over Deteriorating Situation

Update on Internal Palestinian Fighting:

Internal fighting in Gaza is now entering its fourth day with at least 37 dead and 114 injured since Sunday. This is the third round of intense factional fighting seen in Gaza this year leaving at least 128 Palestinians dead and 692 injured since 1 January 2007.

Following the killing of a senior Fatah leader on Sunday 13 May in Jabalia in northern Gaza, violence erupted throughout the Gaza Strip and particularly in Gaza city. Two attempted ceasefires collapsed within hours and fighting continued between Fatah forces and Hamas and its affiliated Executive Support Force (ESF). Today, fighting has taken place around security installations in Gaza city with few incidents reported elsewhere in northern, central and southern Gaza.

In one of the worst incidents, on 15 May, seven members of Fatah security forces were killed near Karni crossing when their jeep was hit by a rocket alleged to be fired by Hamas militants. This morning, the home of Fatah security chief, Rashid Abu Shbak was besieged by Hamas gunmen and at least five of Abu Shbak’s body guards were killed.

Update on Palestinian-Israeli Violence:

Israeli media has reported that 30 Qassam rockets were fired by Palestinian militias towards Sderot and the Western Negev in Israel in the last two days, resulting in 28 injuries, including two woman (one elderly) who both suffered moderate to serious wounds.

At around 2 pm today, Israeli Air Force jets fired missiles into an Executive Support Forces base in southern Gaza. Three ESF members were reported dead and 27 injured.

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UN agencies1 recently undertook an analysis of the humanitarian situation in the oPt. This update reports their findings.

1. IMMEDIATE TRENDS

Since the Palestinian elections in particular, there has been a sharp deterioration in humanitarian situation due to Israel’s tightening of security procedures.

• The Karni crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip – the main crossing for commercial and humanitarian supplies in and out of Gaza – closed for 21 days between 15 January and 5 February resulting in an estimated loss of $10.5 million.2

• The IDF stated that it closed Karni crossing because of security threats and concerns over the spread of avian flu.

• On 26 February, it was announced that all Gaza Strip flour mills would close as wheat grain stocks are depleted following the closure of Karni crossing.

• The price of sugar has increased by 25% since the closure of the Karni crossing. Current stocks are sufficient for four days.3

• Palestinian casualties have increased throughout the oPt in the month after the elections compared to the month before (at least 34 deaths compared with 15) while Israeli casualties remained the same (1 death prior and 1 death after).

• From 19 – 23 February, the IDF has made four incursions into three locations in Nablus city (Balata refugee camp, the Old City and Kafr Qalil). Eight Palestinians were killed (including three children – aged 17 years) and 32 were injured.

• In the past 4 weeks approximately six Qassam rockets / day have been fired into Israel. Israel has shelled the northern and eastern areas of Gaza with 20-23 artillery shells / day.

• In February, the number of Palestinian children in Israeli detention was 360, representing a 13% increase from January. The average throughout 2005 was 300.

• The number of structures demolished increased sharply since the elections – 48 were demolished since 25 January for lacking building permits.

• There has been a 25% increase in the number of physical obstacles (471 obstacles) blocking Palestinian movement in the West Bank – these include earthmounds, checkpoints, roadblocks, which the IDF states are imposed to protect Israel’s citizens – it compares with 376 in August 2005.

• There has been an acceleration of Israel’s plan to separate Palestinian and Israeli road systems within the West Bank. Palestinian traffic is being diverted from the Israeli restricted West Bank roads through a combination of physical obstacles, movement permits and road barriers. A series of tunnels and bridges separate Palestinians onto alternative roads to traverse Israelicontrolled Area C and Israeli restricted roads.

• These new obstacles have had a negative impact, restricting access to land, markets, services and social relations.

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