Gaza Ministry Condemns Targeting of Women, Reports 11,900 Female Deaths

The General Administration for Family and Women in Gaza’s Social Development Ministry issued a statement on October 5 condemning what it characterizes as the systematic targeting of Palestinian women by Israeli forces, citing statistics that according to reports place female deaths at 11,900 during the ongoing conflict ^[1][2].

The statement specifically referenced an attack on the ‘A’ Palace building (also referred to as ‘Asala Palace’ in some reports), describing it as a recent incident that resulted in deaths among women ^[1][2]. The ministry framed these casualties within a broader pattern, stating that the targeting of women and denial of their right to life and safety – regardless of age or religion – constitutes a violation of human dignity and international humanitarian law ^[1][2].

According to the statement, the ministry emphasized that women in Gaza should not be reduced to statistical figures but understood as mothers, daughters, and sisters with legitimate rights to life, dignity, and safety ^[1][2]. The administration called on the international community, human rights organizations, United Nations bodies, and child protection agencies to break what it described as their silence and fulfill their ethical and legal responsibilities ^[1][2].

The statement specifically urged urgent action to pressure what it terms “the occupation” to halt targeting of civilians and women, and called for activation of international accountability mechanisms to ensure accountability for these violations ^[1][2].

The casualty figures cited – 11,900 female deaths according to Gaza’s Health Ministry – appear in reports from Palestinian media sources but have not been independently verified by international organizations. The statement reflects Palestinian official documentation of the conflict’s impact on the civilian population, particularly women, though independent verification of specific casualty breakdowns by gender remains limited in publicly available international sources ^[3][4][5].

This statement comes as part of ongoing Palestinian advocacy regarding civilian casualties and humanitarian concerns during the conflict. International humanitarian organizations and UN bodies continue to monitor the situation, though comprehensive independent verification of casualty figures remains a subject of ongoing documentation efforts ^[5].