The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People heard today that Palestinian women’s rights are inextricably linked to their fight for freedom from Israeli occupation. The discussion covered everything from addressing discriminatory legislation to guaranteeing compensation for war crimes.
On the fringes of the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women at United Nations Headquarters, today’s meeting on “Discriminatory Laws and Policies against Palestinian Women and Girls under Israeli Occupation: Justice Demands Accountability” took place.However, because of the Middle East’s unstable airspace and US visa restrictions on Palestinian passports, four of the panelists spoke by video from the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
“I am speaking to you today” from “a Gaza Strip that is without justice”, Amal Syam, Director of the civil society organization Women Affairs Centre, said, addressing the gendered impact of the war on Gaza. Access to justice requires a fair legislative environment and supportive social and economic structures so that women can enjoy their rights without fear of destruction or displacement. But international laws and human rights conventions failed to protect the 33,000 women, including 9,000 mothers, killed by Israel, or the hundreds of thousands who now live in overcrowded, unsanitary camps, she said.
Israel’s occupation has also prevented the standardization of laws between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, she pointed out. While Jordanian law 61 of 1976 and the penal code of 1936 are in effect in the former, the latter follows the family law issued by the Egyptian Administration in 1954. These “old and obsolete legal systems” cannot protect the rights of Palestinian women in 2026, she said.
Women’s organizations such as hers are still working on the frontlines, providing documentation — including birth certificates, phone helplines and legal consultations. They continued working through the displacement and destruction, “even as courts were destroyed”, she said. The judicial vacuum created by the destruction has resulted in widespread use of mediation. It is being used in displacement camps, and “even under the rubble”, she noted, adding that it is crucial to provide legal guarantees for such solutions. Documenting Israeli violations is another crucial aspect of justice, and victim testimonies will be important for prosecuting war criminals and providing redress for victims.
*
Email *
Website
