In the Security Council: A Palestinian lawyer accuses Israel of waging a systematic war against women's childbirth and community life.

Noura Erakat, a Palestinian human rights lawyer and professor at Rutgers Law School, presented a briefing to the Security Council during an open session on the agenda of "Women, Peace, and Security" on the evening of Monday, October 6, 2025. She began her statement by reminding the Council of the twenty-five years since the adoption of Resolution 1325, emphasizing that the participation of women and the principle of accountability have not been a reality in the case of Palestine, where she states that Palestinian women have faced systematic violence extending along two axes: direct military violence and the destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure and the ability to continue.

The speaker painted a grim picture of women's lives in Gaza, explaining that the attacks have not been limited to infrastructure but have targeted — according to her statement — reproductive capacity in multiple ways. She presented facts and figures to the Council regarding the destruction of a significant number of homes and hospitals; targeting medical facilities such as the "Basma" fertility clinic; a noticeable increase in rates of abortion and maternal and neonatal mortality; a significant decline in rates of pregnancy and births between 2022 and 2025 — figures she linked to the blockade, food shortages; disruption of healthcare services; and the psychological and physical harm resulting from arrests, torture, and sexual assault documented by various entities. She also noted an increase in cases of malnutrition among pregnant women and infants and a decrease in mothers' ability to breastfeed, which increases the risks of newborns' survival.

In her political message, Erakat condemned the absence of Palestinian women's voices within the Security Council chamber, warning against any deal or plan that ends the fighting at the expense of accountability or deprives the vulnerable of their right to justice. She linked the attack on fertility to inciting rhetoric crafted by some Israeli politicians, considering it part of broader attempts to eliminate the possibility of a collective future for Palestinians in their land. She also emphasized the need to protect ongoing proceedings before international institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, and called for continued prosecution of individuals and complicit entities.

Regarding recommendations, the speaker urged the Council and member states for "clear priorities": ending the occupation and blockade, stopping the transfer of weapons that fuel the war, ensuring access to humanitarian aid, and protecting civilians with clear accountability measures. She also called for the inclusion of Palestinian women in any reconstruction or future settlement processes, so that the community can regain its ability to solidarity and build a dignified life.

Noura Erakat's address to the Security Council carried a mix of legal grievance and humanitarian appeal: demanding international accountability and respect for international law, and an ethical call to stop "a campaign that aims, according to the speaker, to eliminate the Palestinians' right to exist."

Erakat's words left a clear impact in the session; they were used as a call to remind the Security Council that the agenda of "Women, Peace, and Security" is incomplete without protecting women's rights to life, dignity, and a future.