UN experts call on SC to protect women, girls in Gaza, restore peace, security
Geneva - Saba:
A group of independent human rights experts urged the UN Security Council on Wednesday to urgently address the Israeli occupation's unprecedented expansion of its offensive against civilians in Gaza and reaffirm its commitment to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda.
"Ahead of the Council's open debate on the protection of civilians, chaired by Greece, we urge a meaningful discussion of the grave implications of the ongoing genocide on women and girls in the besieged Gaza Strip," the experts said in a statement.
The experts stressed that the attacks have shattered every aspect of civilian life, with clear gender consequences, and that Palestinian girls and women of all ages have suffered in overwhelming numbers, while Israel continues to prevent critical humanitarian access.
They noted that "more than 28,000 women and girls have been killed, thousands injured, and nearly one million people displaced. Nearly 13,000 women are the sole breadwinners for their families. The entire population remains at risk of famine. Nearly 71,000 children and 17,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women will require urgent treatment for severe malnutrition in the near future."
They continued: "Women continue to suffer devastating losses while caring for their families, who have little access to adequate water, medicine, food, sanitary products, or sexual and reproductive health care."
The experts explained that women and girls with disabilities face particularly acute risks—disproportionately suffering neglect, increased exposure to violence, and significant barriers to accessing essential services.
The experts said: "The destruction of civilian infrastructure and the extreme suffering endured by women and girls demand immediate and sustained action by the Security Council. The devastation inflicted on women, girls, and entire communities is not accidental, but the result of deliberate Israeli policies and actions. The killing of thousands of women and girls may constitute the deliberate imposition of living conditions designed to bring about the physical destruction, in whole or in part, of the Palestinian people."
The experts noted that while Palestinian women and girls in Gaza are victims of this indiscriminate and disproportionate military assault, women—as journalists, medical workers, teachers, lawyers, and aid workers—continue to provide care, documentation, and resistance despite the devastating losses.
"Girls and other children are being told to walk long distances to learn remotely, even as they fear bombardment along the way. They cling to their uniforms and books, still hoping to return to classrooms—even when those spaces are no longer safe," the experts said.
They reiterated their repeated calls for a permanent ceasefire and the need for protection and accountability measures, and urged the Council to respond to the specific gender-specific impacts of the crisis.
They noted that women, peace, and security commitments should not be sidelined from core peace and security discussions.
The experts warned that "in Gaza, the rules of engagement and the basic protection of civilians have been deliberately, consistently, and flagrantly violated."
They added, "If the Security Council fails to address this profound breakdown in compliance and accountability, and what this means for humanity and multilateralism, the very foundations of international law risk losing their meaning."
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