The impact of the Gaza crisis on the human security of Palestinian women(2023-2024)

Introduction
In 2023, the Gaza conflict emerged as one of the most significant recent crises in the Middle East, profoundly and uniquely affecting the lives of Palestinian women. In this conflict, women have played vital roles as catalysts within the humanitarian response and the rebuilding of society, assuming critical and multifaceted responsibilities. Protecting the human security of women in Gaza is essential not only for safeguarding their lives and health but also for the broader goal of sustaining and reconstructing their communities.
Women have actively participated in social and human rights organizations, serving as human rights defenders and social activists. They have strived to draw global attention to the crisis and to promote the rights of women and children, thereby influencing international policies and actions. Their diverse roles highlight the importance of targeted support and attention to their specific needs in crisis planning and response efforts.
A nuanced understanding of how war affects women and the development of appropriate strategies to address these impacts are vital for enhancing human security and fostering resilient, sustainable communities. Addressing these issues can improve current conditions for women, prevent similar future crises, and promote human rights in war-torn areas.
The central question guiding this research is: How has the Gaza crisis impacted the human security of Palestinian women during 2023 and 2024? Based on this, the hypothesis posits that the Gaza crisis during this period has significantly affected women’s human security by intensifying shifts in social and family roles, increasing gender-based violence and domestic abuse, weakening economic stability, disrupting healthcare systems, and reducing access to legal and psychological support.
These factors have exposed women to direct threats from ongoing armed violence, limited their access to essential resources, and increased pressures from forced displacement, thereby severely threatening their human security. To explore this topic, this study will employ the scientific method, drawing on concepts of intractable conflicts and feminist security theory to analyze and explain the impact of the Gaza crisis on Palestinian women’s human security.
 
Research Methodology
The most suitable approach for examining the impact of the Gaza crisis on the human security of Palestinian women is a combined descriptive-explanatory method, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data. This approach entails using quantitative analyses to assess statistical trends—such as increases in gender-based violence, economic decline, and limited access to support resources. Concurrently, qualitative data are employed to gain a deeper understanding of women’s lived experiences, including shifts in social and family roles, as well as the psychological and social effects of the crisis.
By combining these methods, the descriptive-explanatory approach not only ensures accurate and objective presentation of numerical information but also offers nuanced insights into the complex realities faced by women. It enables researchers to interpret and contextualize the data, ultimately providing a comprehensive, multi-dimensional understanding of how the Gaza crisis impacts women’s human security.
Research Findings
Between 2023 and 2024, the Gaza conflict has profoundly impacted various aspects of Palestinian women’s human security, which can be effectively analyzed through the frameworks of intractable conflict and feminist security theory. The Israel-Palestine conflict is one of the longest-running intractable conflicts in history, continually subjecting the Palestinian population to violence and posing severe threats to women’s security.
Feminist security theory offers an additional valuable perspective by emphasizing comprehensive security at both individual and social levels. Unlike traditional security paradigms that primarily focus on military threats, feminist security expands the scope to encompass physical, psychological, social, and economic dimensions (Burton, 1990: 22). Within the context of the Gaza crisis, Palestinian women encounter multidimensional security challenges rooted in military violence and a scarcity of basic needs within a besieged, war-torn society.
From a feminist security standpoint, these challenges are multilayered: First, women face immediate physical threats such as bombings, home demolitions, and the loss of family members, which significantly endanger their physical safety (UN Women, 2023: 15). Second, they endure heightened psychological insecurity manifested through increased stress, trauma, and mental health struggles. These psychological impacts are particularly acute in an environment characterized by unresolved conflict, persistent instability, and a pervasive sense of uncertainty about the future (Cockburn, 2013: 102).
A recurring theme in feminist literature is the "feminization of poverty," a phenomenon whereby women disproportionately bear the burdens of economic hardship during conflicts. In Gaza, the absence of sustainable solutions to ongoing violence has led to repeated destruction of economic infrastructure, disproportionately impacting women, who often work in fragile and informal sectors. During 2023 and 2024, economic blockades and airstrikes resulted in the collapse of many small businesses—such as those involved in handicrafts and domestic services—that traditionally rely on female labor. These industries are particularly vulnerable amid wartime conditions (Bar-Tal, 2013: 165).
As a consequence, many women have been pushed into informal markets characterized by unstable working conditions, lacking legal or social protections, and exposing them to exploitation. Rising unemployment, declining household incomes, and soaring inflation for basic necessities have further intensified the economic crisis facing Palestinian women, deepening poverty and economic inequality. Within an already gendered labor market, women are often forced to rely on informal, low-paid jobs that offer little job or economic security, thereby perpetuating systemic inequalities (Wibben & Annick, 2010: 125).
Intractable conflicts not only cause direct damage to economic and social infrastructure but also reinforce patriarchal systems and gender disparities, ultimately undermining women’s economic security. Both in the short term—through immediate economic hardships—and in the long term—by marginalizing women and entrenching cycles of poverty and instability—these conflicts threaten to weaken women’s ability to participate fully in their communities and economies.
 
 
Conclusion
The Gaza crisis, from 2023 to the present, exemplifies the profound ways in which "intractable conflicts" impact Palestinian women’s human security. These impacts can be effectively analyzed through the framework of "feminist security," which broadens the understanding of security beyond military threats to include social, economic, and psychological dimensions. Intractable conflicts—such as the ongoing Gaza crisis—persist due to complex historical, political, and social factors, creating conditions devoid of immediate resolution. Such conflicts trap communities in a cycle of continuous violence and insecurity, wherein human security is perpetually threatened.
Among the most vulnerable are Palestinian women, who face heightened risks owing to weaker social support systems and structural inequalities. From a feminist security perspective, women’s security in these settings goes beyond protection from direct military attacks; it encompasses their social well-being, economic stability, and mental health—all of which are disrupted by ongoing violence. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023, Palestinian women have experienced not only direct physical violence—such as bombings and military operations—but also indirect consequences, including increased poverty, unemployment, and the collapse of essential infrastructure and social services, such as healthcare.
This environment, fueled by the cycle of intractable conflict, imposes additional burdens on women, who must strive to uphold their families’ stability amid resource scarcity and social disintegration. Women’s vulnerabilities are compounded by rising gender-based violence, domestic abuse, and sexual harassment, all of which escalate in conflict zones. Moreover, traditional roles—such as caring for children and managing household affairs—become even more demanding, subjecting women to heightened psychological stress. Consequently, the insecurity faced by women in Gaza encompasses not only military threats but also ongoing social and psychological risks, aggravated by systemic inequalities.
Since 2023, the intensification of war and conflict has significantly threatened Palestinian women’s security, rendering them not only direct victims of violence but also casualties of ineffective social structures. This situation vividly illustrates the interconnection between intractable conflicts and feminist security, emphasizing that a comprehensive understanding of women’s experiences requires addressing both military and non-military dimensions of crises. Ultimately, the plight of Palestinian women demonstrates that intractable conflicts affect multiple aspects of their lives, threatening their security across all levels.