Palestinian Women in Wartime: A Field Study Documenting Resilience in the Face of Reproductive Genocide

A new book titled 'Palestinian Women in Wartime: Between the Challenges of Humanitarian Reality and the Transformations of Social Role' has recently been published by the Phoenix Center for Research and Field Studies in Gaza. Authored by researchers Mansour Abu Karim and Noura Zaqout, the 290-page book offers an in-depth analytical reading based on a field study that included a wide sample of women in the Gaza Strip during the period between 2023 and 2025.

The book highlights the stark contradiction in international discourse that champions women's rights while turning a blind eye to the tragedy of Palestinian women who are subjected to systematic killing and displacement. The facts presented in the study reveal the ugly face of international law, which fails to protect the right to life, the origin and first of all rights, especially in light of the direct targeting of women and children by the occupation.

The four chapters of the study address war as a structural earthquake that has reshaped social and political roles in Palestinian society. In this context, women emerge as a key actor and guardian of identity and social fabric, especially with the collapse of official institutions, where their bodies and daily lives have become an arena for resistance and survival at the heart of the national conflict.

The book chronicles the militant consciousness of Palestinian women, which began to form since the British Mandate, specifically with the establishment of the first Arab Women's Association in Jerusalem in 1921. This role evolved from traditional charitable work to direct involvement in popular revolutions, culminating in unique militant distinction during the Great Intifada in 1987.

The researchers monitor the effects of the 'Al-Aqsa Flood' operation and the subsequent Israeli aggression, which led to a comprehensive collapse of the economic and social infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. This reality imposed harsh burdens on mothers, who were forced to ration their meals and starve themselves to ensure the survival of their children amidst food insecurity.

The book clearly points to the concept of 'reproductive genocide' practiced by the occupation through the concentrated targeting of women, with the aim of liquidating the Palestinian demographic presence. This suffering has been exacerbated by forced displacement, which stripped women of their property and means of production, and placed them under the burden of unpaid care in overcrowded shelters.

On the health front, the study documented the complete collapse of the medical system, with most hospitals ceasing to provide essential services. This led to an exacerbation of the suffering of pregnant women who were forced to give birth in unsafe health conditions, as well as the spread of skin and infectious diseases due to the lack of safe drinking water and general hygiene.

The study touched upon the psychological aspect, confirming a significant increase in trauma and chronic anxiety disorders among Gazan women. Repeated scenes of destruction and the loss of children have shaken the foundations of psychological balance, in the near-total absence of specialized mental health services and sustained social support during times of bombardment.

The field results of the study, which included 400 women, showed that 86.5% of the participants did not receive adequate healthcare during the war. This large percentage reflects the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe and the collapse of the primary care system, in addition to the negative assessment of the fair distribution of humanitarian aid, which was marred by chaos and lack of oversight.

Regarding the political role, statistics revealed that 69.3% of women feel marginalized in the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. The researchers attribute this to women's complete preoccupation with managing daily survival requirements and securing a livelihood for their families under harsh and continuous war conditions.

Despite the enormity of the challenges, the study showed a vibrant spirit among women, with 60% of participants expressing a strong desire to enhance their political role after the war ends. This shift indicates a resilient national consciousness seeking effective economic empowerment and the restoration of normal life components and participation in future decision-making.

This book is an important reference document that combines historical grounding and contemporary field analysis of one of the most violent conflicts in the twenty-first century. Its value lies in transforming human suffering into statistical data and structural facts that reveal the systematic targeting of Palestinian women by the Israeli war machine.

At the conclusion of their study, the researchers presented a realistic roadmap for transitioning from emergency relief to sustainable recovery. The recommendations focus on the necessity of integrating women into all reconstruction processes, and providing long-term psychological and economic support to enable them to overcome the devastating effects of the war and restore their leading role.

The book concludes that the resilience of women in Gaza today is an extension of a long legacy of struggle, and it is a cry in the face of a dysfunctional global system and hypocritical moral values. The book places international institutions before their legal responsibilities, emphasizing that the restoration of Palestinian society's well-being begins with the protection and political and social empowerment of women.

What Palestinian women face today is not merely humanitarian suffering; rather, it is an extension of an existential battle, in which women exhaust their energy to bear multiplied burdens for the sake of survival and resistance.