A number of journalists from Gaza took to social media to report that Israeli forces conducting operations inside Al-Shifa hospital are torturing and raping women present inside.
Photojournalist and videographer Wissam Nasser from Gaza said that a man and his wife taking shelter inside the hospital along with their two children had an alleged heinous encounter with the Israeli forces. “The preganant wife was forcibly undressed by Israeli forces despite informing them of her pregnancy; they continued to kick her. Then they assaulted and raped her in front of her family and other men,” Wissam shared.
He also shared a dark art work by the artist Ibrahim Ghunaim featuring a pregnant woman with tears of blood running down her eyes. He captioned it, “According to testimonies from inside Al shifa hospital, Israeli invading troops raped a Palestinian pregnant woman in front of her husband and other men then they killed her. This is happening situation the holy month of Ramadan while starving Palestinians are fasting. Absolutely shocking, disgusting and shows their evil nature‼‼”
Another Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary took to Instagram stories and posted, “Women in Gaza are raped and tortured.”
Various Palestinian media outlets have also confirmed the claims and presented eye-witness accounts.
Middle East Eye reported a woman’s eye-witness account by Ms. Jamila al-Hissi as to what is happening inside Al-Sifa hospital. “They raped women, kidnapped women, executed women, and pulled dead bodies from under the rubble to unleash their dogs on them.” She further lamented, “Is there anything more horrifying than hearing women call for help, and when we try to reach them to provide assistance, they shoot at us.”
Israeli forces have been attacking and laying siege to al-Shifa Hospital since Monday, March 18. The medical complex is the largest in the Gaza Strip, with some 30,000 people seeking refuge there prior to the current raid.
Journalist Sami Alsultan shared a video testimony of a woman who was forcefully expelled from Al Shifa complex with her children while IDF took her husband, killed her husband’s uncle and grandfather.
In another video shared by Middle East Eye, a woman named Nisreen was seen sharing how IDF barged into their home, stripped her naked and took all her belongings away.
Doctor Aliyah Khan spoke to Middle East Monitor and shared testimonies from Canadian physicians serving in Gaza. They reported on a case where a woman was raped for two days until she lost the ability to speak. Another woman was stripped in front of her brother and husband. When they tried to cover her, they were killed by Israeli soldiers.
Hind Khoudary in collaboration with Palestinian Feminists shared the disturbing surge of women victims of rape and torture in Gaza. It called out the deafening silence of Western feminists and mainstream media over the issue.
