“Mentally devastated” Gazan woman opens up about imprisonment
Women in Gaza are on the front line of the conflict, facing unimaginable challenges as each day passes. But now, as Israel prepares to slaughter millions of civilians in Rafah, some are speaking out about the latest threat if they are captured by IDF forces: rape
Facing the brunt of Israel’s war on Gaza are civilians — especially women. Gaza is now considered one of the world’s most dangerous places for women, with an average of seven deaths every two hours.
One Gazan woman opened up about the verbal, physical and psychological abuse she endured from Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers following her arrest in mid-December in an interview with the New Arab from March 19th.
28-year-old Inas — who chose to keep her surname private — is one the hundreds of Gazan women who also were detained by the IDF on October 7th. In mid-December, she was arrested while sheltering in Gaza’s Al-Zeitoun neighbourhood.
The soldiers forced her to walk for two hours until reaching eastern Gaza’s Al-Shejaiya neighbourhood. She was then “handcuffed and bundled” and transported in an infantry fighting vehicle across the Israeli border to Zikim. She recalled, “‘Welcome to Israel,’ they said.”
“I was then taken to the Anatot Military Camp where I was subjected to a strip search by female soldiers,” she added.
In prison, they interrogated her for any information regarding Hamas. In the night, soldiers threw wet blankets over the women.
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“They asked me if I knew where the tunnels were, where Yahya Sinwar is,” she said. “I told them they should know better. I have nothing to do with Hamas.”
In response, an Israeli soldier threatened her with rape. “If you don’t say what you know, we will tell 10 people to rape you,” she recalled him saying.
She was then transferred to Haifa’s Khirbat Al-Dumun prison. “I’m mentally devastated,” she said. “I wish they’d killed me or [that I’d] died sooner.”
On February 19th, the UN expressed their shock at allegations of human rights violations committed by the IDF against Palestinian women and girls in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including unlawful execution.
“We are shocked by the reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places they sought refuge, or while fleeing,” the statement read. It added that some of the women killed even held pieces of cloth indicating surrender as they died.
One viral video showed a woman shot dead while holding a white flag next to her grandchild.
“These alleged acts may constitute grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute,” the statement read. “Those responsible for these apparent crimes must be held accountable and victims and their families are entitled to full redress and justice.”
READ: “Has my leg gone?” Gaza teen’s own horror story
Of the 31,819 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7th, over 9,000 have been women, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. Women also make up 75% of the 73,934 wounded, as reported by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Inas also mentioned that during her time in prison she recalled a woman suffering from severe cramps who died because she never received proper medical attention.
In Gaza, feminine hygiene products have become scarce, raising concerns with several Palestinian women’s rights groups.
“When the war started, the first thing I thought about, even before food, was to stock up on sanitary pads to last me a few months, because it’s actually a nightmare if you’re on your period,” shared one Gazan woman.
On March 6th, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that 52,000 pregnant women were endangered by the war. With few hospitals in Gaza functioning — al-Shifa having just been raided on March 19th by the IDF — the prospect of giving birth scares many women.
A new mother receiving medical treatment in Israel dreaded the state of the war-torn Gaza strip, when the Israeli government organised a plan to return its Palestinian patients receiving treatment.
“If I go back with the twins […] where do I go with them?” she said. “Where would I get diapers and milk? Gaza is not the same anymore.”
“Every day is a desperate struggle,” said Coordinator of Advocacy and Communications for ActionAid Palestine Riham Jafari, “This nightmare continues to drag on, leaving women and girls in Gaza wondering why the world has abandoned them.”
The New Arab
