Reports of violence against women in Gaza surge, UN agency finds

Recent reports from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reveal a significant surge in violence against women and girls in the Gaza Strip. The ongoing crisis has created conditions that put women and girls at increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV), including early and forced marriage. A study analyzing data from 10 organizations found a 123% rise in reported cases of early and forced marriage in the second quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter.

Testimonies from 230 women living in crowded displacement camps in Gaza City and Khan Younis paint a grim picture of the violence they have experienced or witnessed. In some cases, women have been married off to their rapists to avoid shame and scandal. One woman recounted a situation where rape cases in schools led to weddings and celebrations the next day.

The UNFPA report also highlights instances of 14-year-old girls being married off in exchange for basic necessities like flour, a practice that was unthinkable before the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in 2023. Despite the reopening of food markets, many remain impoverished and hungry, relying on charitable handouts. Most of Gaza's population of over two million have been displaced, living in squalid tent camps or damaged buildings. Public services have largely collapsed, and Israeli air strikes continue despite the ceasefire.

Girls orphaned during the war are particularly vulnerable, with a higher risk of miscarriages and underweight babies. The Women's Affairs Center in Gaza and other support groups have documented distressing cases of girls being married and suffering abuse. The UN categorizes marriages of girls under 18 as early marriage, and the law in Gaza allows exceptions with parental consent and judge authorization.

However, the minimum marital age of 17 was already declining before the war. The law permits marriages for those as young as 14 years and seven months old, but legal safeguards were removed when Islamic courts were closed during the war.