Egypt’s NCW president: Liquidation of Palestinian cause is liquidation of human rights

CAIRO – 20 December 2023: President of Egypt's National Council for Women (NCW) Maya Morsy has participated in a virtual emergency meeting for the Ministerial Council of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Women Development Organization to discuss the situation of the Palestinian women amid the Israeli aggression in Gaza.

In her speech at the meeting, Morsy has reiterated rejection of the brutal aggression by Israel against the unarmed Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, which has continued for more than 70 days.

She affirmed that the Islamic nations are currently facing a serious crisis with the Palestinian cause going through a very dangerous and sensitive time in light of the inhumane Israeli escalation.

Morsy affirmed that Israel has adopted the approach of collective punishment and forced displacement in Gaza, while committing massacres to impose a new fait accompli. She warned against the impact of this aggression on the Palestinian cause.

“The liquidation of the Palestinian cause is a liquidation for human rights, the rights of peoples, and the right in life,” Morsy stated.

Gaza women under heavy fire

Morsy highlighted the current situation of women in Gaza, who lack access to adequate nutrition, healthcare services, and basic health supplies. She stressed that this especially affects mothers and newborns.

“Palestinian women have long suffered and continue to suffer from the brutality and violence of the occupation, in a clear violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” Morsy stressed.

Egypt supports the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in calling for investigation and ensuring accountability in this regard, she said.

“During this crisis, Palestinian women have experienced violations of their fundamental human rights, including the right to life,” she stated. Egypt has conveyed in all its communications with various international parties that Israeli violations against Palestinian civilians, especially women and children, amount to fully-fledged war crimes, she added.

President of the National Council for Women conveying a speech at the meeting

Morsy conveyed the demands of the Egyptian delegation in the meeting, including calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, a halt to forced displacement, and urging Israel—the occupying power—to facilitate the prompt entry of sufficient and continuous humanitarian aid.

Secondly, the delegation calls upon the United Nations and its institutions to protect the rights of Palestinian women and children in accordance with the rules of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

The delegation also calls for the Women Development Organization to provide all possible forms of support to strengthen the resilience of Palestinian women and enable the WDO to monitor and document ongoing human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Additionally, the organization should engage with women's organizations worldwide, women's rights committees, and human rights bodies in the Human Rights Council to address the current situation of Palestinian women and exert international pressure to achieve an immediate ceasefire.

The delegation called for coordination with the mechanisms of the OIC and its institutions to ensure the integration of the needs of Palestinian women.

Lastly, the delegation urges ensuring that the blatant violations against women and children in the Gaza Strip are referred to in all activities of the WDO until the ceasefire is achieved and the occupation ends.