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Amal recalled seeing a mother near a Gaza hospital being asked the question after losing two children in a single airstrike months ago. Amal works for the Women Affairs Center, a civil society organization in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

"Here in Gaza, our hopes are limited. Before the ceasefire, we hoped to die together with our children when the time comes, and prayed our bodies remain intact instead of ripping to pieces," Amal said.

"There are no homes, no water, no electricity. Who even talks about these things in 2025?" Amal asked.

The worst part is the uncertainty, Hala, a UN Human Rights protection worker, asserted.

"It is impossible to return to any kind of normalcy if you can' t at least count on the slaughter being over," Hala said.

"Our lives can' t be further from normal. Forget about opening a faucet and getting water, or flipping a switch to get light," said Shorouq, a project manager at the Palestinian organization Maan Development Center."When the news started about the ceasefire faltering,mothers around me again started writing down names on their children' s forearms."

Amal, Hala and Shorouq work under the UN Protection Cluster, coordinated by UN Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, uniting national and international organizations to respond to the needs of those most exposed to vulnerabilities including children,women, persons with disabilities, and the displaced.

Amal directs an organization that provides protection services to women survivors of violence including psychological support, safe spaces, as well as referrals and shelters. Hala is part of the coordination effort for the Protection Cluster. Shorouq is a project manager working on the provision of communal mobile latrines,as well as assessing and addressing protection risks associated with the use of shared bathrooms in

displacement centers.

The intensive military operations since October 2023have killed over 49,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, and devastated civilian infrastructure including hospitals, schools, governance and justice institutions. Such destruction predictably affects women disproportionally and causes gender-based violence to spike. Women struggle more to secure their basic needs, feel the loss of public safety more intensely, and bear the brunt of some of the worst coping mechanisms like early marriage.

Like most people in Gaza, all three women were displaced several times since 7 October 2023 due to recurrent Israeli evacuation orders and incessant bombardment. They returned to northern Gaza after the ceasefire was announced and found their homes partially or completely destroyed. They are also still struggling with the traumatic experiences they survived.

Surviving the unimaginable

Six months pregnant when the war broke out, Shorouq fled from northern Gaza to Khan Younis. A few weeks before her due date, her doctor said her condition necessitated a cesarean delivery.

"Anesthesia was running out, so, we scheduled the surgery as early as we could. They had epidural left but no painkillers for after. I will never forget the pain,"Shorouq said.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), there are close to 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza and 130 women giving birth every day, while surrounded with waste and contaminated water, and with a healthcare system that is left in tatters.

Less than a day after the birth of her daughter Salma,Arabic for "safe," Shorouq was already fleeing further south with a fresh incision, no painkillers, and a newborn. The hospital was subject to an evacuation order, and an airstrike hit close to the makeshift shelter where she lived.

They ended up in a tent for months.

"Salma stopped breastfeeding at three months because I was too malnourished," she said. "Every morning, l entrusted her to God before I left our tent to work.Every morning, I left not knowing if I will ever see her again."

Now back in northern Gaza, 14-month-old Salma continues to be easily scared by loud sounds.

"The other day she saw a fully lit shop powered by strong batteries. She was shocked. It was the first time in her life to see a space that well-lit at night," Shorouq said.

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"Do you want both your children buried together or in separate graves?"

Amal recalled seeing a mother near a Gaza hospital being asked the question after losing two children in a single airstrike months ago. Amal works for the Women Affairs Center, a civil society organization in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

"Here in Gaza, our hopes are limited. Before the ceasefire, we hoped to die together with our children when the time comes, and prayed our bodies remain intact instead of ripping to pieces," Amal said.

"There are no homes, no water, no electricity. Who even talks about these things in 2025?" Amal asked.The worst part is the uncertainty, Hala, a UN Human Rights protection worker, asserted.

"It is impossible to return to any kind of normalcy if you can' t at least count on the slaughter being over," Hala said.

"Our lives can't be further from normal. Forget about opening a faucet and getting water, or flipping a switch to get light," said Shorouq, a project manager at the Palestinian organization Maan Development Center. "When the news started about the ceasefire faltering, mothers around me again started writing n names on their children's forearms." 

Amal, Hala and Shorouq work under the UN Protection Cluster, coordinated by UN Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, uniting national and international organizations to respond to the needs of those most exposed to vulnerabilities including children,women, persons with disabilities, and the displaced.Amal directs an organization that provides protection services to women survivors of violence including psychological support, safe spaces, as well as referrals and shelters. Hala is part of the coordination effort for the Protection Cluster. Shorouq is a project manager ring on the provision of communal mobile latrines,as well as assessing and addressing protection risks associated with the use of shared bathrooms in displacement centers.

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The intensive military operations since October 2023have killed over 49,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, and devastated civilian infrastructure including hospitals, schools, governance and justice institutions. Such destruction predictably affects women disproportionally and causes gender-based violence to spike. Women struggle more to secure their basic needs, feel the loss of public safety more intensely, and bear the brunt of some of the worst coping mechanisms like early marriage.

Like most people in Gaza, all three women were displaced several times since 7 October 2023 due to recurrent Israeli evacuation orders and incessant bombardment. They returned to northern Gaza after the ceasefire was announced and found their homes partially or completely destroyed. They are also still struggling with the traumatic experiences they survived.

Two Palestinian women flee in North Gaza, 16 Nov 2024.

Surviving the unimaginable

Six months pregnant when the war broke out, Shorouq fled from northern Gaza to Khan Younis. A few weeks before her due date, her doctor said her condition necessitated a cesarean delivery.

"Anesthesia was running out, so, we scheduled the surgery as early as we could. They had epidural left but no painkillers for after. I will never forget the pain,"Shorouq said.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), there are close to 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza and 130 women giving birth every day, while surrounded with waste and contaminated water, and with a healthcare system that is left in tatters.Less than a day after the birth of her daughter Salma,Arabic for "safe," Shorouq was already fleeing further south with a fresh incision, no painkillers, and a newborn. The hospital was subject to an evacuation order, and an airstrike hit close to the makeshift shelter where she lived.

They ended up in a tent for months.

"Salma stopped breastfeeding at three months because I was too malnourished," she said. "Every morning, I entrusted her to God before I left our tent to work.Every morning, I left not knowing if I will ever see her again."

Now back in northern Gaza, 14-month-old Salma continues to be easily scared by loud sounds."The other day she saw a fully lit shop powered by strong batteries. She was shocked. It was the first time in her life to see a space that well-lit at night," Shorouq said.

Women in the West Bank

In the Occupied West Bank, Palestinian women are facing their own unique challenges. Based on monitoring by UN Human Rights, since 7 October 2023,violence by Israeli security forces rose to levels unseen for decades. Entire communities have been displaced due to intense militarized operations, increased house demolitions, and escalating settler violence. Israeli raids and attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank have become routine, including through the increasing use of airstrikes and other heavy military weapons, which are not permitted where law enforcement framework applies.

According to testimonies, women repeatedly find themselves responsible for protecting children and the elderly, while Israeli forces occupy homes as military bases during raids. Some are used to shield Israeli forces from possible retaliation during searches. Women human rights defenders report increased targeting through surveillance, arbitrary detention, and ill-treatment.

According to UNFPA, there are 73,000 pregnant women in the West Bank, many of whom encounter critical health risks due to movement restrictions and checkpoint closures, severely limiting access to antenatal, postnatal, and delivery care.

In February 2025, during an ongoing Israeli security operation, eight-month pregnant Sondos Shalabi was shot to death while fleeing with her husband from Nur Shams refugee camp.

Giving it all

Despite feeling targeted and depleted, Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are finding ways to support each other and their communities.

"We are providing services to displaced communities while we are also displaced. They have needs, but so do we," Amal said. "The day I opened the Rafah branch of the organization was the day after I received the news that my brother died because he could not reach a hospital to get dialysis."

"Pain touched us all and spared no one. But you can't by and do nothing. I am proud of the work we have done and the services we have provided while missiles were flying over our heads."