GAZA, (PIC)
The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7th 2023 continues to cast its catastrophic shadows on all aspects and groups of the society. This is evidenced by the fact that more than 90% of the population in the Gaza Strip have become displaced, and that more than 5% of the total number of citizens have fallen victim to Israeli collective extermination, both as martyrs and wounded.
Most affected
Among the most affected groups due to this aggression is the Palestinian woman, who has been a primary target of the Israeli enemy in its crimes committed throughout the past months of war. Statistics confirm that the number of female martyrs reached 7,500, accounting for approximately 30% of the total war casualties, in addition to around 11,000 injured and thousands of missing women buried under the rubble.
Health suffering
Despite the suffering of all women and girls in the Gaza Strip, pregnant women and new mothers are particularly affected. The Israeli bombardment has led to the loss of unborn babies, with a large number of pregnant women being martyred and others experiencing miscarriages. There are 60,000 pregnant women at risk, and it is expected that thousands of them will give birth in the coming month. It is possible that hundreds of them will suffer complications in pregnancy and childbirth due to the absence of healthcare and anesthesia, after 30 hospitals and 53 health centers went out of service, and 150 health facilities were directly targeted, according to the government’s media office.
There has been an increase in cases of miscarriage and fetal death as a result of the bombing and the use of dangerous weapons such as white phosphorus. Delivery operations for women, such as cesarean sections, are performed without sufficient anesthesia or pain relief medications due to the shortage of necessary healthcare tools and supplies. The greatest threat is malnutrition due to the lack of vitamins, proteins, and minerals that enable the body to perform its functions.
The damage expands when considering the basic healthcare needs of women in general, which require the availability of medications and daily necessities, especially for those with chronic illnesses. However, the minimum treatment requirements are not available in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli-imposed blockade, which prevents the arrival of any essential medical resources.
Estimates indicate that thousands of women during their menstrual period do not have access to menstrual hygiene products, according to the United Nations Population Fund.
The latest updates from the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza indicate that there are 350,000 patients with chronic diseases at risk, and 10,000 cancer patients facing the risk of death due to the lack of medication, including thousands of women, girls, and children.
Working women
Working women in Gaza have been greatly affected by the difficult working conditions during the war. With the disruption of cellular and internet communications, for example, female journalists risk their lives to report on events and human stories, especially in light of the targeting of occupation forces against them and their homes. Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression, the number of female journalists who have been martyred has reached 14, according to the latest update from the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and the GMO.
On the livelihood side, hundreds of women suffer from psychological pressures and harsh experiences as a result of losing their children and family members in front of them, and the increasing sense of insecurity in the ongoing aggression and its aftermath.
Psychological pressures
Estimates indicate that there are at least 3,000 married women who have become widows since October 7th. In the face of difficult living conditions, the burdens on women and girls have multiplied. Some of them have become providers for their families or the source of their family’s access to water and food, making them vulnerable to killing or injury.
With the loss of the home, which represents the concept of family security for them, Palestinian women have found themselves in a constant state of alertness to protect their children and families. Thousands of women in Gaza have lost their homes, with 70,000 housing units completely destroyed and 290,000 units partially damaged and rendered uninhabitable.
