Alleged rights violations against Palestinian women and girls in
the Gaza Strip and the West Bank must be investigated, a group of
experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on
Monday.
Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily
executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including
their children, according to information they have received.
Killed while fleeing
“We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and
extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places
where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were
reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by
the Israeli army or affiliated forces,” the experts said.
They voiced serious concern about the arbitrary detention of
hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights
defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the
West Bank since the start of the conflict on 7 October following
the deadly Hamas terror attacks in Israel.
Many of the detainees have reportedly been subjected to inhuman
and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and
medicine, and severely beaten, they said. Furthermore, on at
least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were
allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without
food.
Sexual assault in detention
“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women
and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms
of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by
male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian
detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly
threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said.
Photos of women detainees in degrading circumstances were also
“reportedly taken by the Israeli army” and uploaded online, they
added.
The experts were also concerned that an unknown number of
Palestinian women and children, including girls, have reportedly
gone missing after contact with the Israeli army in Gaza.
“There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant
forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel, and of
children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts
remain unknown,” they said.
Call for probe
“We remind the Government of Israel of its obligation to uphold
the right to life, safety, health, and dignity of Palestinian
women and girls and to ensure that no one is subjected to
violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment,
including sexual violence.”
The rights experts called for an independent, impartial, prompt,
thorough and effective investigation into the allegations and for
Israel to cooperate with any probe.
“Taken together, these alleged acts may constitute grave
violations of international human rights and humanitarian law,
and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law
that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute,” they
warned.
The Rome Statute is the July 1998 treaty that established
the International Criminal
Court (ICC), which investigates and tries individuals
charged with genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and
the crime of aggression.
Independent voices
The statement was issued by Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on
violence against women and girls, its causes and
consequences, and Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories,
alongside the members of the UN Working group on
discrimination against women and girls: Dorothy Estrada
Tanck (Chair), Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, Haina Lu, and Laura
Nyirinkindi.
Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the
UN Human Rights Council to
report and advise on specific thematic issues or country
situations.
They work on a voluntary basis and are independent of any
government or organization. They serve in their individual
capacity and are not UN staff and do not receive payment for
their work.
