UN Commission: Israeli Occupation Imposes 'Grave Situation' on Palestinian Women

A view of the separation wall in the occupied West Bank. (Photo: Interfaith Peace-Builders)

UN Commission: Israeli Occupation Imposes 'Grave Situation' on Palestinian Women

Motion condemns Israel's 50-day military assault on Gaza late last summer, which killed at least 2,194 Palestinians, including hundreds of women and girls

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women passed a resolution on Friday condemning the Israeli occupation as imposing a "grave situation" on Palestinian women.

The motion (pdf) from the 45 member commission notes that "the Israeli occupation remains the major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development of their society."

Further, the resolution condemns Israel's 50-day military assault on Gaza late last summer, which killed at least 2,194 Palestinians, at least 75 percent of them civilians and over 500 of them children.

Sponsored by the Palestinian and South African delegates, the motion passed 27 to two, with the U.S. and Israel voting against and 13 European Union members abstaining.

It comes on the heels of a statement released by the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights for International Women's Day.

"The International Women's Day comes this year while many Palestinian women have been experiencing cruel and inhumane conditions due to the Israeli arbitrary practices that affected their lives," the Center's declaration reads. "Women's suffering doubled in the Gaza Strip in particular due to the consequences of the latest Israeli offensive, as they have been enduring hard and complicated living conditions."

Join Us: News for people demanding a better world


Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place.

We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference.

Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today!

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.