This issue features
- Sexual violence in Iraq
- Forced displacement in Syria
- Subcommittee on gender in the peace negotiations in Colombia
Impact of conflicts
Israel – Palestine
The Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip as part of the armed conflict with Hamas, which lasted for 50 days from 8 July to 27 August, had devastating consequences for the Palestinian civilian population. The UN estimated the total number of Palestinian casualties at 2,104, of which 1,462 were civilians, including 495 children and 253 women.
Meanwhile, the Israeli death toll stood at 66 soldiers and seven civilians. Israel was widely criticised for some of its actions during the conflict, especially for indiscriminate attacks on UN schools turned into shelters. The conflict forcibly displaced thousands of people and inflicted great destruction in the Palestinian territory. In this context, Palestinian women’s organisations that participated in the 27th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva demanded that the international community hold Israel accountable for abuses committed in Gaza, as well as for violations of international humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territories. The women expressed concern about the continuation of the ceasefire unless the blockade on the Gaza Strip is lifted and also demanded the inclusion of a gender perspective when rebuilding it. The Palestinian women did not participate formally and were not consulted in negotiating a truce between Hamas and Israel, so they appealed to Resolution 1325, stressing the need for Palestinian women to play a larger role in resolving the conflict with Israel. Moreover, women’s organisations from all over the world organised and joined in protests against the bombing of Gaza by the Israeli government and denounced the severe impact of the armed conflict.