In Ramallah, Acting Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh remarked on Thursday that as the globe observes International Women’s Day, Palestinian women are enduring “the darkest days in the history” of their nation. During this solemn occasion on March 8, he highlighted the severe challenges faced by Palestinian women, including mourning for lost loved ones, suffering killings, displacements, and the denial of fundamental human rights, all under the international community’s watch.
Shtayyeh’s statement underscored the plight of Palestinian women by pointing out the staggering figures: 9,000 women have been martyred, with tens of thousands more injured or orphaned, nearly a million displaced, and hundreds detained. He called for Palestinian women to be allowed to live in freedom, dignity, national independence, security, and safety every day, urging the world to abandon double standards.
The Gaza Strip’s Media Office reported that 8,900 women have been martyred in the last five months due to ongoing offensives. Since an attack by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in less than 1,200 Israeli casualties as reported by Tel Aviv, Israel has launched a military offensive against the Gaza Strip. This offensive has led to over 30,700 Palestinian deaths, more than 72,000 injuries, widespread destruction, and dire shortages of essential supplies.
The blockade imposed by Israel has severely affected the Gaza Strip, especially the northern regions, pushing residents to the brink of starvation. According to the United Nations, 85% of Gaza’s population has been internally displaced, facing acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed.
Israel is currently facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which issued an interim ruling in January directing Tel Aviv to cease genocidal acts and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza.–Web Desk