Palestine demands international investigation into Israeli crimes against women, children

By Awad Rajoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestine on Tuesday called for an international investigation into Israeli “crimes” against women and children in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

“Evidence and testimonies documented by Palestinian and international institutions show that many women have been extrajudicially executed, abused, sexually assaulted and deprived of health care, food, and water,” Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said in a statement.

On Monday, UN experts expressed alarm over "credible allegations" of egregious human rights violations that Palestinian women and girls continue to face in Gaza and the West Bank.

Shtayyeh hailed “the UN experts' courage and commitment to justice and truth despite the pressures exerted on international efforts by Israel."

The experts said that they were shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge or while fleeing.

"On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food," said the experts.

The experts said that at least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped, while others were allegedly threatened with rape and sexual violence.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed more than 29,000 people and injured over 69,000 others.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio