HCHR_Along with the International Women's Day, referring to the crimes committed by the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip, especially against women and girls, Kazem Gharibabadi, the Vice-President of the Judiciary for International Affairs and the Secretary General of the High Council for Human Rights, in a letter to the UN Secretary General, the Head of the UN Economic and Social Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for their efforts to expel this regime from the Women's Authority Commission. The text of this letter is as follows:
His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations
Her Excellency Mrs. Paula Narvaez, President of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
His Excellency Mr. Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Hello;
On March 8, the International Women's Day, I would like to share an important issue with you and express my concern about the membership of the Zionist regime of Israel in the Commission on the Status of Women.
As you know, the situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic. The Israeli regime has committed all international criminal crimes such as crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, and ethnic and racial cleansing against the defenseless people of the Gaza Strip. So far, more than 30,000 people have been martyred and more than 72,000 people have been injured, 70% of whom are women and children. Hundreds of thousands of residential, medical, educational buildings, places of worship and infrastructures have been completely destroyed or seriously damaged due to the continuous attacks and bombings of the regime. On the other hand, the principles of international humanitarian law, such as not attacking civilian places, not attacking civilians, and observing the principles of separation and proportionality, have also been completely violated by the Israeli regime. All kinds of human rights such as economic, social, cultural, political and civil rights have been seriously violated during the crimes of the last 5 months of this regime.
What is more deplorable and makes the dimensions of these crimes and crisis more severe is the situation of women and girls. In its January 2024 report, the UN Women Body stated: “Women in Gaza have urgent needs as well as multiple vulnerabilities. The crisis in Gaza has worsened conditions, especially for single women, female heads of households, adult girls, women with disabilities and elderly women. Access to food and water is very limited and women and girls do not have access to sanitary facilities”.
According to UNICEF's February 2024 report, “more than 1,400,000 children, including girls, are in serious need of humanitarian aid. Out of 1,700,000 internally displaced people, 850,000 of them are children, including girls.”
The executive director of the United Nations Women's Organization, in the report to the Security Council meeting on November 22, 2023, said: “Women and girls are paying a heavy price in the Gaza crisis. Every hour, two mothers and every two hours seven women are killed in Gaza. Every day, 180 women give birth without water or medical and sanitary items. Women in Gaza told us that they pray for peace, and if there is no peace, they pray for immediate death while sleeping, with children in their arms”.
A group of United Nations human rights experts also pointed out the painful and bitter realities in their statement on February 19, 2024: “Palestinian women and girls are repeatedly and arbitrarily executed, targeted and killed along with their family members and their children in the Gaza Strip while fleeing or seeking refuge. Some of them were holding a white cloth when they were killed by Israeli forces. Detained women in Gaza are held in cages in the rain and cold and without food”.
These experts also expressed their serious concern regarding Sexual assault on Palestinian women and girls, the disappearance of a number of Palestinian women and children, the separation of Palestinian children from their parents and their transfer to Israel.
The above cases are only a few examples of the crimes committed by the Zionist regime of Israel against women and girls in the Gaza Strip. This regime with such a dark history is unfortunately a member of the Women's Status Commission, a commission that was formed in line with the goal of establishing gender equality and empowering women, and one of its important tasks is to accelerate the fulfillment of women's needs around the world.
In such a situation, the continued membership of the Israeli regime is a mockery of the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as contempt for the Commission on the Status of Women and its principles, goals and missions. Your Excellencies are expected to use all your best efforts and ensure that this criminal regime, child killer and killer of women and girls, is held accountable for its crimes and expelled from this commission.
Best regards