Between 7 October 2023 and 1 September 2024, at least 40,786 Palestinians were killed and 94,224 were injured in Gaza by the Israeli bombardments. 41 per cent of these casualties are women and children. While in the West Bank, between 7 October and 14 August 2024, 618 Palestinians, including 15 women and 154 children, have been killed, including East Jerusalem. Over 5,670 Palestinians have been injured in the same period, including about 830 children.

"In the southwest of Gaza City, amidst the chaos, hope becomes a skill, and survival is a testament to the strength within us all."

Though Ibtisam spends her nights in a shared hall at the shelter with very little privacy, it serves as a stark reminder of her solitude. The yearning to reunite with scattered family members, heightened by the loss of a loved one’s due to the war, inhabits her dreams. Communication barriers only deepen her sense of isolation, and Ibtisam confesses to often crying herself to sleep, longing for the embrace of her family and the comforting laughter of nieces and nephews.

More than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza face inhumane living conditions today. Gaza has become a protection crisis for women, with close to one million women and girls displaced and two mothers killed every hour, since the beginning of the crisis.

80% of women in Gaza depend on food assistance to survive, and women-led organizations are uniquely equipped to support them, according to new UN Women Gender Alert.

After the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, followed by the Israeli Armed Forces’ strikes on Gaza, UN Women has worked to analyse the differentiated impact on women, men, boys, and girls, to ensure adequate responses to their needs.

Duha Shellah, 26 years old, is a Palestinian young doctor and medical journalist. She is the founder & CEO of the Researchist, a research community working to increase youth and women’s representation in research and science. In 2022, Duha was recognized as one of the world’s 21 outstanding young physicians by the Inter-Academy Partnership in Berlin, Germany. She is also an Eastern Mediterranean Region Delegate at World Federation of Public Health Associations (Young Council). Additionally, Duha is a coordinator at the Medical & Health Sciences division of the Palestine Academy for Science and Technology. Among other things, Duha is the Student Editor-in-Chief and Ambassador at the International Journal of Medical Students.

Ameera, 24, was born with a vision impairment. She lives in Ramallah with her siblings and parents. She has a degree in English Language and Literature and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Community Development. Ameera also works at EducAid, an international non-profit organization, where she helps people with disabilities overcome learning and employment challenges.

Israa Abu Dawod, 32, was born with a complete vision impairment. She lives with her parents and brother (also with vision impairment) in Hebron in the West Bank. Both of her parents have health issues and are unable to work. Israa holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language Teaching, and hosts a weekly radio programme on the rights of people with disabilities. Israa was among the 300 women who received cash for work opportunities by UN Women in Palestine. Generously supported by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), UN Women’s Cash for Work Programme offers economically vulnerable women, particularly those with disabilities, temporary work opportunities coupled with vocational trainings and protection services, to help them pursue more sustainable livelihood.

Rabab Nofel, 30, lives with her two-year-old son and husband in a rented apartment in Gaza. She was born with a disability that restricts her movement. To make a living and support her son, Rabab creates and sells perfumes from home, but her livelihood often gets disrupted, particularly during escalations of violence. Women with disabilities have limited opportunities in Gaza to build economic resilience. Only around four per cent of women with disabilities participate in the workforce.

Zahra Ahmed, 38, lives with a physical disability, and suffers from diabetes, pituitary tumours, and bowel cancer. She is a refugee living at Al Shatee refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. She had to drop out of school when her parents died. Zahra was among the women who received cash assistance and cash for work opportunity. She worked as an office helper at the Palestinian General Union of People with Disabilities from December 2021 to March 2022. These services were also paired with skill development trainings and gender-based violence (GBV) protection services including legal counselling, awareness-raising sessions, and psychosocial support; all provided by UN Women through the generous funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

A vital pillar in the justice and security system, the sole forensic science laboratory in the West Bank seeks justice for survivors of violence. UNODC through the HAYA Joint Programme, is training laboratory technicians to help increase the likelihood of identifying perpetrators of violence and holding them accountable.

After my son died, I isolated myself from everything. I felt like my life had stopped. However, I finally decided to seek help from a women’s organization in Gaza. After I participated in their self-help network where a group of women who experienced bereavement supported each other, I slowly get back to my life. Now I am a stronger woman. After my condition improved, I provide support to other bereaved women fighting grief and depression.

My name is Hanaa' Rajeh Al Farajeen. I live in one of the Bedouin communities in Hebron. I am a manager in a kindergarten and a member of the Bedouin Women’s Protection Committee in our community, established to support various needs of women and girls in Bedouin communities.

Aftermath of conflicts are often followed by increased incidence of sexual and gender based violence, resulting in more demand for specialised services. Humanitarian assistance must address this specific issue. Following the last conflict in Gaza, UN Women and Japan have entered a new partnership to support increased access of female victims of gender-based violence in Gaza to protection services, with a particular focus on internally displaced women and girls and those living in overcrowded households.