Since 7 October 2023, the Gaza Strip has been subjected to an unprecedented war of genocide. As of the date of preparing this report, more than 58,000 civilians have been killed—half of them women and children—and over 130,000 others injured, the majority also women and children. This war has not been solely military in nature; rather, it has systematically targeted civilian infrastructure and daily life, placing the most vulnerable groups—women and children—at the heart of targeting and suffering.

As a result of the ongoing war and continuous siege, the suffering of women and children has intensified. According to the United Nations, approximately 177,000 women in Gaza are at risk of serious health complications, including 15,000 pregnant women facing famine, in addition to 162,000 women threatened by non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease [1].

In June 2025, the rate of acute malnutrition among children under five increased from 5.5% in March to 10.2% in June 2025 alone, with more than 5,800 children diagnosed with malnutrition, including over 1,000 severe cases in June alone [2]. According to the IPC report (November 2024–April 2025), more than 60,000 cases of acute malnutrition are projected among children aged 6–59 months, including 12,000 severe cases, in addition to 16,500 pregnant or breastfeeding women requiring treatment for malnutrition [3].

This report documents the reality faced by these groups under the weight of conflict, analyzes patterns of violations committed against them, and traces the impact of the collapse of protection and basic care systems, through a legal analysis grounded in international humanitarian law and relevant human rights conventions.

If violations against women and children in the Gaza Strip continue in this systematic manner without effective international intervention, the consequences will not be limited to the current material and moral destruction. Rather, they will extend to structural crises affecting the future of the entire Palestinian social fabric, pushing entire generations toward loss, ignorance, chronic psychological trauma, and isolation from the world. The failure of the international community to stop these violations and hold perpetrators accountable entrenches a terrifying model of impunity and empties international law of its humanitarian substance.

First: The Reality of Women and Children under the War of Genocide on the Gaza Strip

Since 7 October 2023, women and children in the Gaza Strip have been subjected to unprecedented violations affecting all aspects of life. As the most vulnerable groups, they have borne the harshest impacts of the war—socially, psychologically, economically, health-wise, and in terms of security—as outlined below:

Social and Family Conditions

Since the outbreak of the war on 7 October 2023, Gaza’s social fabric has witnessed an unprecedented collapse, manifested in family disintegration and the forced transformation of family roles. Women have carried the heaviest burden amid repeated displacement, loss of shelter and income, and forced living in tents or overcrowded shelters. With the absence or killing of breadwinners, thousands of women have become sole providers for their families under extremely harsh conditions.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (June 2025), 13,901 women face a tragic reality after losing their husbands as a result of the ongoing genocidal war, becoming the primary breadwinners for families deprived of their providers [4].

In parallel, the war has left catastrophic conditions for children. UNICEF and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report that at least 17,000 children in Gaza have become unaccompanied or separated from their families due to the killing of parents or loss of contact during displacement and bombardment. These children face an extremely fragile social reality without adequate protection or stable care [5].

In addition, more than 23,600 children have lost one or both parents, according to a study published in Population Health Metrics (May 2025), deepening trauma and loss within families and destroying what remains of a safe environment for children [6].

Psychological Conditions

Repeated displacement, loss of shelter, and the death of loved ones have caused deep psychological trauma, particularly among women and children, who find themselves in environments lacking even minimal safety and support. Despite limited efforts by some institutions to provide psychological interventions, ongoing bombardment and deteriorating conditions prevent any real possibility of recovery or psychological healing.

Sabrine H. (45 years old) stated in a documented testimony dated 22 June 2025:
“I was displaced six times. I lost my home and my children. My son and niece were arrested. I now live in a tent with no sense of safety” [7].

Health reports issued by the World Health Organization and Médecins Sans Frontières document hundreds of cases of acute psychological breakdown and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women and children, amid the absence of privacy in displacement centers and the near-total lack of emergency mental health services.

Another testimony dated 15 July 2025 reveals a growing pattern of gender-based violence against widows and women without male providers. Shaimaa (30), a displaced widow in a shelter in western Gaza, says:
“I avoid mixing with others to protect myself from violence. I have been subjected to psychological abuse and financial extortion by those closest to me. I know this is wrong, but I have no choice. My husband was killed, and I have no support. I was directly injured when our home was targeted, and today I live under severe psychological pressure and endless depression” [8].

UNICEF and UN Women reports indicate rising rates of depression and acute anxiety among women, alongside increased stigma, isolation, and lack of personal safety—particularly among widows and survivors of direct attacks [9].

Physical and Sexual Violence

Women, girls, and children in Gaza face increasing threats of sexual and physical violence amid chaos, lawlessness, and the collapse of protection systems. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, such acts constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity when committed systematically during armed conflict.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor and numerous local testimonies have documented evidence of the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war by Israeli occupation forces, within a recurring pattern targeting Palestinian civilians, particularly women [10].

Inside shelters in southern Gaza, documented testimonies report harassment and physical assaults inside tents, especially due to the lack of gender segregation [11] and the absence of any protective infrastructure or privacy. These risks increase with the deterioration of security, absence of civil police, and lack of complaint mechanisms or access to legal and psychological services.

UN reports warn that widowed and displaced women and girls are the most vulnerable to gender-based violence—whether by strangers or even family members—amid social fragility and forced dependence on informal networks to secure basic needs [12].

Economic Conditions and Livelihoods

Thousands of women in Gaza have lost their sources of income due to widespread destruction of infrastructure, insecurity, and the loss or arrest of breadwinners. With economic collapse and paralysis of civilian life, poverty rates have surged, leading to near-total dependence on humanitarian aid that barely meets minimum needs.

In a documented testimony for the purposes of this report, Sabrine (45) says:
“I used to work as a childcare provider. Since the war began, I lost everything. I have no income and rely on aid that is not enough for me or my family” [13].

According to a World Bank report (May 2025), more than 80% of working women lost their jobs during the war. Women-led small businesses collapsed almost entirely, particularly in home-based industries, early education, handicrafts, and community services [14].

ILO reports indicate that widowed and displaced women face compounded barriers to re-entering the labor market due to security restrictions, lack of childcare and education, and increased patriarchal guardianship during crises [15].

Collapse of Legal Protection and Spread of Violence

The ongoing war and destruction of police and judicial facilities have erased legal protection in Gaza, turning the area into an environment of violence and disorder. With the absence of law enforcement institutions, access to justice and accountability has become impossible—especially in cases involving violations against women and children.

Israeli forces have directly targeted civilians even while they sought humanitarian aid, resulting in the killing of more than 330 civilians while attempting to secure food, according to field reports from OCHA and local human rights organizations [16].

Multiple testimonies indicate that temporary shelters—intended to be safe havens—have become spaces of danger and exposure due to insecurity, lack of privacy, overcrowding, and weak oversight. Prolonged sieges of displacement areas and the targeting of camps have further deepened the general sense of insecurity and the absence of any chance of survival.

This situation constitutes a fertile environment for multiple violations, particularly amid widespread widowhood due to the killing of husbands and the growing number of orphans, making women and children the most vulnerable to security risks, gender-based violence, and exploitation.

In this context, community or legal protection mechanisms are absent, leaving civilians in a suffocating legal and security vacuum that deepens cycles of abuse and helplessness, leaving women and children without protection or means to seek justice or redress.

Collapse of the Health Care System and Targeting of Vulnerable Groups

The health care system in Gaza has collapsed due to systematic targeting of hospitals and ambulances, prevention of medical supplies from entering, and deprivation of hundreds of thousands of patients of their most basic health rights. This collapse has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, particularly for women and children, who have become the most affected groups.

In a documented testimony dated 22 June 2025, Sabrine H. (45) says:
“I go to the hospital and return quickly. No treatment, no medicine, the situation is terrifying. I prefer to die in my tent rather than go back there” [17].

According to UN data, more than 400,000 displaced women live in unsafe health conditions in tents lacking clean water, toilets, and emergency medical care. Reports by WHO and the Palestinian Red Crescent indicate the deaths of hundreds of women and children due to delayed ambulances or the absence of essential medicines [18].

The Protection Cluster reports that 70% of essential medicines have run out, and that every five infants in Gaza hospitals are forced to share a single incubator, posing a direct threat to their lives. More than 150,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women have been deprived of basic health follow-up services, including examinations, specialized care, and safe delivery [19].

Regarding children, there is currently no place in Gaza that can be described as a “safe haven.” Approximately 28 children are killed daily, according to a statement by UNICEF’s Executive Director before the UN Security Council (June 2025), while more than 40,000 children have been injured since the beginning of the war. Reports indicate that 10 children every day lose one or both legs as a result of direct bombardment—shocking figures that reflect the scale of systematic targeting of the most vulnerable [20].

A testimony documented on 16 July 2025 illustrates the horror on the ground. Iman A. (29), displaced from Jabalia to western Gaza, says:
“My mother was injured during displacement, and I watched her die slowly in front of me. The ambulance carrying us was directly shot at, and when we reached Kamal Adwan Hospital, there were no beds, no electricity, and no medicines. She was operated on on the floor, using phone light, without anesthesia, because everything was missing” [21].

In addition, Israeli occupation forces have not only deprived the wounded of treatment but have also targeted medical personnel themselves. According to the Protection Cluster, 1,580 health sector workers and 467 humanitarian aid workers have been killed since 7 October, in direct attacks on hospitals, ambulance teams, and medical supply warehouses [22].

Education

The education sector in Gaza has suffered near-total collapse. Educational activities have completely stopped since the beginning of the war, and schools have been turned into rubble or overcrowded shelters incapable of providing even minimal educational services. Data from the Ministry of Education indicate that more than 15,000 students have been killed and more than 500 educational institutions destroyed, including 93 UNRWA schools, while universities have sustained severe damage, depriving thousands of students of higher education [23].

Noha, a displaced mother, says:
“My children’s lives have been wasted without education—no internet, no schools, not even a safe place to send them to an educational point” [24].

More than 76,000 students have been deprived of sitting for the General Secondary Examination (Tawjihi) for two consecutive years, deepening the educational gap and creating a state of educational and psychological loss among children and adolescents. Educational institutions in Gaza warn that this generation faces the risk of “educational loss” amid the absence of any safe or temporary alternatives and the continued systematic targeting of the educational environment.

Forced Displacement

More than 90% of Gaza’s population has been forcibly displaced due to repeated and coercive evacuation orders, often delivered through military leaflets demanding immediate evacuation without providing safe alternatives. Women and children constitute the majority of the displaced and are the most affected by the consequences of displacement—physically, psychologically, and economically.

According to OCHA reports, 85% of Gaza’s territory is either under evacuation orders or classified as military operation zones, rendering every location in the Strip vulnerable to attack and undermining any possibility of a safe shelter.

In many cases, tents and shelters for displaced persons were targeted by bombardment, resulting in the killing and injury of hundreds, including large numbers of women and children. UN data indicate that nearly one million women and girls in Gaza currently live under conditions of forced displacement, lacking the most basic elements of safety and care, and repeatedly moving between uninhabitable locations due to ongoing bombardment or displacement [25].

Second: The Legal Status of Women and Children during the War on the Gaza Strip

Since the outbreak of the genocidal war on Gaza on 7 October 2023, the legal protection system for vulnerable groups—particularly women and children—has nearly collapsed. Despite the special protections guaranteed under Palestinian Basic Law and numerous international conventions, most notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child, CEDAW, and the Geneva Conventions, these safeguards have failed in the face of systematic targeting by the occupation of civilian institutions responsible for providing support and services, foremost among them the Ministry of Social Development and police protection centers.

Lawyer Ahmad Al-Masri, legal advisor, stated in a personal interview conducted for documentation purposes on 22 June 2025:
“Since 7 October, the law in Gaza has been almost absent due to the deliberate destruction of enforcement institutions. Women and children are exposed to violence without protection—without any functioning legal system. We are facing the law of the jungle: crime without punishment and victims without justice.”

With the absence of legal deterrence, patterns of family and community violence against women and children have escalated amid near-total paralysis of judicial and protection systems. Civil society organizations are now only able to implement limited relief activities, without the capacity to provide adequate legal or psychological protection.

At the international level, despite the clarity of rules guaranteeing protection during armed conflict, the occupation has flagrantly violated:

The Fourth Geneva Convention, which mandates the protection of civilians, especially women and children, and guarantees their dignity and physical safety.

CEDAW, which obligates states to ensure health, psychological, and social protection for women, particularly during pregnancy and the postnatal period.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires protection of children from violence, abuse, and exploitation during times of conflict.

Yet in the face of these violations, the international community has remained ineffective, limiting itself to symbolic condemnations without activating accountability mechanisms or holding the occupation accountable before international courts, particularly the International Criminal Court.

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, stated:
“International failure to ensure respect for the Geneva Conventions has turned the genocide in Gaza into a terrifying example of the collapse of international law in the face of political interests.”

The collapse of internal protection systems, combined with international failure, has left women and children in Gaza exposed to one of the most brutal waves of systematic collective violations in modern history, with no horizon for justice or redress.

Third: Analysis of Obligations under the Geneva Conventions, Their Protocols, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and CEDAW

Since 7 October 2023, the Gaza Strip has witnessed comprehensive violations of the legal protection framework for women and children, constituting blatant breaches of core international treaties that bind states—especially during armed conflict—to provide special protection to vulnerable groups.

Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocol I

Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention affirms civilians’ right to protection and respect, with specific emphasis on protecting women from any attack on their honor, including rape, enforced prostitution, and indecent assault. It also requires humane treatment of women and children at all times, without discrimination. Despite this, human rights reports indicate a systematic pattern of violations, including:

The use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Targeting women inside their homes or during displacement.

The killing of hundreds of women and children while attempting to access humanitarian aid.

Article 63 also provides for the protection of medical personnel—a provision repeatedly violated through attacks on hospitals and medical staff and obstruction of access to the wounded, leading to the deaths of many children due to delayed ambulances or lack of medicine.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

Article 11 obligates states to protect motherhood and affirms that protective measures for women during pregnancy or breastfeeding do not constitute discrimination. Article 12 guarantees women’s right to appropriate health services during pregnancy and after childbirth, including adequate nutrition and free treatment when necessary.

UN reports have documented:

Deprivation of more than 150,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women of basic medical care.

Shortages of infant formula and prevention of alternative nutritional supplies from entering Gaza.

Absence of psychosocial support programs for mothers.

Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Convention obligates states to protect children from all forms of violence and abuse and to guarantee their rights to life, health, education, and psychological and social care, especially during armed conflict. However, the reality in Gaza since October 2023 shows:

The killing of more than 15,000 children.

Destruction of hundreds of schools and deprivation of tens of thousands of children from education.

Widespread symptoms of PTSD and psychological breakdown among children, without adequate intervention.

Fourth: Gaps in the Implementation of Legal Protection

Despite binding international obligations—foremost the Geneva Conventions, CEDAW, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child—the reality of war in Gaza has exposed profound gaps in the implementation of legal protection, both locally and internationally.

Collapse of Protection at the Local Level

The systematic destruction of law enforcement institutions and social service ministries has eliminated any effective application of laws protecting women and children. Legal advisor Ahmad Al-Masri notes:
“The protection system was already fragile before the war, but it completely collapsed afterward. There is no longer any implementation of the Palestinian Child Law, nor any practical legal framework to protect women from violence or provide support centers or legal redress.”

Legal life in Gaza has transformed into a reality without an effective judiciary or accountability mechanisms, resulting in unaddressed family and community violence—exacerbated by poverty, displacement, and insecurity.

Since 7 October, women and children have been severely affected in their family and social conditions due to the suspension of Sharia and civil courts, which were deliberately targeted by Israeli occupation forces. Legal procedures and family law cases related to women’s and children’s rights have been halted. Many women are now “legally suspended”—neither divorced nor living with their husbands—unable to obtain alimony due to the paralysis of courts and enforcement bodies.

One displaced woman in a shelter recounts that she had sought refuge with her family before the war due to severe domestic violence. She intended to file a lawsuit for divorce, but the outbreak of war prevented this. She is now unable to file for separation or alimony and remains “suspended,” as she describes it.

International Failure to Enforce Compliance

Despite the clarity of international legal texts, states parties have failed to activate their obligations to ensure respect for these conventions during armed conflict. Agnès Callamard states:
“By failing to meet their legal duties, states are prioritizing political interests over ethical and legal obligations, turning Gaza into a terrifying example of the collapse of international law.”

This failure is reflected in:

The lack of referral of crimes to the International Criminal Court.

Absence of deterrent measures against Israel despite repeated violations.

Reliance on condemnatory statements without enforcement or punitive mechanisms.

Impunity as the Norm

It has become clear that the occupation has not adhered to any international agreements, including CEDAW, the Geneva Conventions, or the Rome Statute, which classify these violations as crimes against humanity.

Legal experts warn that the absence of international accountability entrenches impunity, undermines trust in the international legal system, and encourages the repetition of crimes against populations that lack means of defense or protection.

Fifth: Findings and Recommendations

Findings

Comprehensive collapse of the internal protection system in Gaza, with destruction of institutions responsible for protecting women and children.

Systematic and grave violations against women and children, including killing, sexual violence, starvation, denial of healthcare, and forced displacement, in clear breach of international humanitarian law.

Absence of local and international justice due to judicial paralysis in Gaza and the failure of the international community to enforce accountability mechanisms or refer crimes to the ICC.

Continued impunity despite extensive documentation, deepening feelings of injustice and fear of recurring crimes.

Severe social disintegration and escalating psychological trauma among women and children, threatening long-term societal stability.

Recommendations

At the local level:

Establish a national emergency mechanism for the protection of women and children, including legal and psychological support and systematic documentation of violations.

Support women’s and human rights civil society organizations and enable them to provide protection and legal accountability services.

Create special monitoring and prevention mechanisms within shelters, ensuring confidential and effective reporting procedures for vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.

Develop media and awareness campaigns focusing on combating violence against women and children during conflict.

At the official Palestinian level:

Activate diplomatic efforts through embassies and missions to pressure for a ceasefire and referral of Israeli crimes to the International Criminal Court.

Document violations against women and children in accordance with international legal standards and transform them into prosecutable case files.

At the international level:

Demand that states parties to the Geneva Conventions fulfill their legal responsibilities to ensure respect for these conventions and move beyond symbolic condemnations.

Activate international accountability mechanisms, particularly through the International Criminal Court.

Expand humanitarian aid and psychosocial services for women and children in Gaza in cooperation with civil society organizations.

Strengthen institutional coordination at local and international levels to ensure protection of women and children through unified databases.

At the United Nations and its agencies:

Deploy independent investigation teams to monitor and document violations against women and children.

Allocate specialized protection and rapid-response programs for vulnerable groups that go beyond relief toward psychological, social, and legal empowerment.

Exert pressure to open safe and permanent humanitarian corridors for food and medical supplies, and to secure the specific needs of pregnant women and children.

References with URLs and citations:

[1] https://palestine.unwomen.org/en/stories/press-release/2024/09/war-on-womens-health-in-gaza?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[2] https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-07-15-2025-43e559363cba4eb99cd7238c00d1de12

[3] https://www.alquds.com/en/posts/156803?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[4] Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

[5] OCHA: Humanitarian Needs Update, July 2025

[6] Population Health Metrics: Mortality and Orphanhood in Gaza, May 2025

[7] Personal interview conducted by the researcher.

[8] Personal interview conducted by the researcher.

[9] UN Women: Gender-Based Violence Brief, April & July 2025

[10] Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor: Gaza Field Documentation, June–July 2025

[11] Personal interview conducted by the researcher.

[12] UN Women & OCHA: GBV Risk Analysis Update, July 2025

[13] Personal interview conducted by the researcher.

[14] World Bank: Gaza Economic Update – May 2025

[15] ILO: Gender & Labour Report, Gaza – Q2 2025

[16] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): Humanitarian Update – July 2025

[17] Personal interview conducted by the researcher.

[18] WHO & UN OCHA: Gaza Health Crisis Updates – June & July 2025

[19] Protection Cluster: Gaza Health and Protection Brief, Q2 2025

[20] UNICEF Executive Director Speech – UN Security Council, June 2025

[21] Personal interview conducted by the researcher.

[22] Protection Cluster: Gaza Health and Protection Brief, Q2 2025

[23] Data issued by the Palestinian Ministry of Education

[24] Personal interview conducted by the researcher.

[25] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): Humanitarian Update – July 2025