The General Union of Palestinian Women said today, Tuesday, that more than 700,000 women and girls have been displaced as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and have taken refuge in UNRWA schools, streets and tents in difficult health and humanitarian conditions.
This came during a statement issued by the Union in a press conference held in the city of Al-Bireh, on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of Resolution 1325, issued by the United Nations, which calls for women’s participation and representation in political processes and conflict resolution, protecting women and girls from gender-based violence, and promoting women’s rights. Under national laws.
The Union added that the number of daily births in the streets, shelter homes, and tents reached about 120 births, out of 50,000 women, and these people give birth in an inappropriate environment that lacks the main requirements for a safe birth, in addition to the impact of the loss of water, cleaning materials, and medications on the emergence of bacterial diseases and infections, in addition to It is impossible to perform caesarean sections due to hospitals being overcrowded with wounded people and running out of anesthetics.
The Union indicated in its statement that the martyrdom of men led to an increase in the percentage of women heading their families due to 1,000 women joining the category of widows, which may increase at any moment, which exacerbated the crisis of women’s poverty in light of the cessation of life, the lack of job opportunities and the closure of crossings.
The statement continued: The power outage had a major impact on hospitals, as it led to the destruction of the health system, leaving a catastrophic impact on women with chronic diseases, especially elderly women with kidney and cancer patients, and other diseases that require daily treatment, and a reminder of the stifling siege on the sector that has doubled. With the war, patients were prevented from leaving for hospitals in the West Bank and Jerusalem for treatment, due to the closure of the crossings.
He pointed out that an uncounted percentage of women and girls were forced to take birth control pills to stop their menstrual cycle, due to conditions of displacement, constant movement, and instability, in addition to the loss of health supplies, water, and hygiene materials, which will create negative health effects in the future.
The Union stressed that the spread of tension and frustration due to the inability of women, especially mothers, to carry out the innate and natural responsibilities and duties of motherhood, doubles the rate of psychological violence, and burdens them with despair and frustration.
The Union called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, lifting the siege on Gaza, and giving our Palestinian people the right to self-determination and the application of international legitimacy. It also called on the international community to open safe passages and ensure the flow of needs and basic supplies without restrictions or domination by the occupation, especially water. Electricity, fuel, food, medicine, medical and health materials, and hygiene materials.
He stressed the necessity of working to rehabilitate hospitals that were out of service, so that they become effective and able to carry out their work towards the wounded, as well as returning them to perform births, especially caesarean sections, and secure premature newborns.
He called for the need to deliver relief and humanitarian materials, enable ambulance teams and medical teams from the West Bank and Jerusalem to reach the Gaza Strip, and enable the wounded, injured, and those with chronic diseases to reach hospitals in the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
The Union called on women in the Arab countries and the world to continue demonstrating in the streets against the war on our people in the Gaza Strip, in all possible political and media forms, and to convey the voice of Palestine to various forums, to make change and contribute to restoring our people’s right to self-determination.
For her part, Intisar Al-Wazir, President of the General Union of Palestinian Women, said that women and children are the first to pay the price for the occupation’s crimes and aggression against our people, stressing that the will of our people constitutes the compass of their steadfastness and struggle against the occupation and its racism.
The Union called on all factions to close ranks and strengthen national unity to thwart the Israeli plans through which they seek to undermine the unity of our people, liquidate our causes, and displace our people.
The Minister affirmed that the Union will continue to raise its voice, demanding that we stand by the legitimate rights of our people, their right to self-determination, and the establishment of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
