The Palestinian Center For Human Rights (PCHR): The crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip has never ceased; it was merely lurking under a fragile truce and continued slowly claiming lives slowly. With the resumption of the Israeli military aggression on Gaza, women and children are now on the top of the victims’ lists. Gaza’s women find themselves trapped between treacherous bombardment that claims either their lives or their children’s. Since the collapse of the ceasefire, 595 children and 308 women have been killed, bringing the death toll among women to 12,402 and to 18,044 among children since 07 October 2023.1
In this context, lawyer Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), says: “How many children and women must be killed before the world openly acknowledges that what is happening in Gaza is a genocide? The killing of nearly 18,000 children and 13,000 women without a clear international condemnation is a moral and humanitarian disgrace. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the most important court in the world, has confirmed there are reasonable grounds to believe that genocide is being committed in the Gaza Strip. These atrocities are prohibited under the Genocide Convention, which not only condemns the act but also holds the States Parties responsible for failing to prevent it. Yet, many countries, particularly those that claim to respect international law and the rule of law, continue to cover up this crime, entrenching an unacceptable selectivity in addressing such causes. Silence and inaction in the face of these crimes not only reflect double standards but also jeopardize the entire international justice system.”
When Gaza’s women are killed due to the IOF’s ongoing attacks, their loss is not just a matter of numbers, nor is it simply a blatant violation of their right to life. It is a compounded crime that tears apart the fabric of families and society and is a consequent violation of their children’s rights.
The children become orphaned, left without mothers, and deprived of the irreplaceable care and affection they need. This loss, in such a violent and inhumane context, leads to long-term psychological and social disorders, making them one of the most vulnerable groups. It also raises concerns about the emergence of a generation burdened with trauma, in dire need of comprehensive support and care to regain even the minimum sense of safety and stability.
Grandmother Sanaa’ al-Masharawi (60) said to PCHR’s staff:
“On 21 March 2025, our house in Gaza was bombed while we were all asleep. I was with my husband with mobility impairment, my three children, and their families. At 23:30, a strong explosion shook the place, and glass and stones scattered around me. I went outside to find out what happened and found that our house had been destroyed, except for the ground floor. My son-in-law took me and my injured husband to his nearby house. My two sons and their wives as well as six of my grandchildren were killed in this massacre. Only three of my grandchildren survived, who were Karim, Adam, and Samir. They were left alone to face this tragedy after losing their parents in an instant, without even being given a chance to say goodbye to their parents. They woke up to a nightmare that turned their lives upside down. Samir (12) says: ‘I was at the Baptist hospital, and I didn’t say goodbye to my father, mother, or siblings. I was in complete shock; I stayed two days without speaking to anyone or crying. When I learned that my father, mother, and siblings were all killed, I felt like I was suffocating, and I was torn inside. After two days, my grandmother came and sat next to me, trying to reassure me. At that moment, I started crying intensely, hugging her. I don’t like to talk about that day because it was the worst day of my life. The grandmother added: ‘Karim (7) is in a deep shock, constantly crying and asking about his parents, unable to believe what happened. As for Adam (3 and a half years old), he doesn’t understand what happened, but he completely refuses to eat and only wants his mother. My heart is breaking for them. They wake up terrified, crying from fear, and live in a constant state of anxiety. I am now bearing the responsibility of taking care of them alone, meeting their needs, and trying to comfort them, but I can’t replace the tenderness of their mothers. I lost my husband ten days after the massacre. Now, at my age, I find myself facing a task beyond my abilities, weighed down with sorrow and responsibility. All the time, I think about what their future will be like and who will support them, especially after losing their mothers, because losing a mother is something that cannot be replaced.”2
Since the collapse of the ceasefire, 595 children have been killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of children killed to 18,044, reflecting one of the most horrific scenes of genocide. This shocking toll confirms that the targeting of children was not collateral damage, but a result of a deliberate and systematic policy aimed at exterminating the coming Palestinian generation. The children deprived of their mothers under relentless bombardment were victims of collective punishment intended to uproot the Palestinian people, starting with their youngest.
The impact of genocide in Gaza is not limited to the children who were killed; it also leaves a profound impact on mothers’ mental health. Many women endure the loss of their sons and daughters under extremely harsh conditions, unable to protect, save, bid farewell, or to grieve them safely. Some mothers have lost all their children and are forced to cope with this loss without psychological support or access to essential services to help deal with trauma. These harsh experiences leave long-lasting psychological effects that threaten the future stability of families and society
(T. M.) (50) said to PCHR’s staff: “I am a mother who gave birth to my son, Abdul Rahman (22), after nine long years of failed attempts to conceive. He was my whole world and always by my side. He was 22 years old and got married during a 50-day truce, and we lived moments of unforgettable joy. At dawn on 18 March 2025, the war resumed. On 20 March, an evacuation order was issued by the IOF for our residential area, so we decided to evacuate. Before leaving, I went to the bakery, while Abdul Rahman went to say goodbye to his friend. Suddenly, a massive explosion occurred, and I was injured in my head and leg. I rushed back to our home to find my husband had been killed. I called out for Abdul Rahman to come and say goodbye to his father, but he never answered. After a long search, his body was found under the rubble, wearing his wedding suit. I couldn’t see his face. I recognized him by his clothes. In a single moment, I lost my husband, my only son, and my home. Four houses were targeted at once, and dozens were killed. I got into the vehicle carrying the dead bodies and sat beside Abdul Rahman. I couldn’t leave him; he was all I had. To this day, I can’t believe that he was killed. I feel like I’m going mad. Whenever I sit alone, I whisper: Really, Abdo? You left me? Did you truly leave me alone? I can’t believe you’re gone… I can’t believe I lost you. Our lineage has been severed. There are no children, no grandchildren, no one left to carry our name.”3
What the world is witnessing in Gaza, including systematic killings of women and children during the genocide, without any serious action, is a crime that shakes the very essence of humanity. Every life mercilessly taken and every innocent brutality destroyed strips human values of their meaning and becomes nothing more than hollow slogans amidst this shameful silence.
In line with its legal and moral responsibilities, PCHR calls on the international community to take decisive and urgent measures to stop the ongoing genocide and hold the Israeli leaders accountable for their atrocious crimes before the international justice. PCHR stresses that urgent action is no longer a choice but a legal and moral obligation that cannot be delayed. PCHR also urges the State Parties to the Genocide Convention to fulfil their legal obligations and take urgent action to protect the Palestinian civilians, particularly women and children, from the genocide, mass killings and grave violations.
In the same context, PCHR emphasizes the need for major powers to cease political pressure or public intimidation against judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and to enable them to perform their duties with full independence in accordance with their legal mandate and the principles of international justice. PCHR also calls on states whose citizens hold dual citizenship, including Israeli citizenship and another- and serve in the Israeli forces to open independent and serious criminal investigations against those individuals whenever credible evidence proves their involvement in the commission of international crimes in the Gaza Strip.
- Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH), 17 April 2025, link: https://t.me/MOHMediaGaza/6467 ↩︎
- A testimony obtained by PCHR’s staff on 16 April 2025 in ‘Abasan al-Kabira area in Khan Yunis. ↩︎
- A testimony obtained by PCHR’s staff on 12 April 2025 at al-Yarmouk Schook in Gaza City. ↩︎
