Key facts
- A report by the Palestinian Feminist Collective alleges Israel has committed 'reproductive genocide' against Palestinians.
- The report claims this practice has accelerated since October 7, 2023, aiming to make Palestinian life impossible.
- A UN report found Israeli forces deliberately targeted Palestinian children as part of their assault on Gaza.
- The Palestinian Feminist Collective report details the destruction of reproductive healthcare facilities and infrastructure in Gaza.
- UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese stated the violence against Palestinians is a system of domination, oppression, and erasure.
A report released by the Palestinian Feminist Collective alleges that Israel has been perpetrating a 'reproductive genocide' against Palestinians for decades, a practice that has reportedly intensified since the commencement of the current conflict in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. The report contends that Israel's actions aim to make the continuation of Palestinian life impossible.
The report, titled 'A Predatory State: Israeli Systemic Sexualized and Gendered Violence Against Palestinians,' draws on survivor testimonies, declassified archives, academic research, and UN reports. It details the systematic destruction of reproductive healthcare facilities, including maternity wards and IVF clinics, and the broader impact of the conflict on women's health and fertility. The report highlights instances such as the cutting of electricity at al-Nasr paediatric hospital, leading to infant deaths, and a significant rise in miscarriages due to malnutrition and lack of prenatal care.
Furthermore, the report notes that Israeli forces have deliberately targeted Palestinian children, as concluded by the UN's top investigative body on Palestine and Israel. This has resulted in the deaths of thousands of children and the loss of mothers. International doctors have described performing surgeries, including C-sections, without anesthesia in Gaza due to the destruction of medical infrastructure and lack of supplies.
UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese commented on the report, calling it an 'indictment of a system' that turns Palestinian life into instruments of control and domination. She emphasized that the violence is not isolated abuses but part of a systematic oppression and erasure.
The report also references historical Israeli concerns about Palestinian reproduction, citing a 1995 warning by Israeli geographer Arnon Soffer about Palestinian birth rates endangering Israel's national security, and a remark by former Prime Minister Golda Meir about her nightmares stemming from the birth of Palestinian children.