UN Women Special Representative in Palestine Maryse Guimond delivered a sobering report on the devastating toll of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, declaring that women and girls have "borne the brunt" of a conflict that has killed over 50,251 Palestinians and injured 114,025 others.

Guimond described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as an “unfolding nightmare,” emphasizing that nearly 60 percent of recent casualties are women and children—a harrowing indication of what she called the “indiscriminate nature” of the Israeli assault.

“This is not collateral damage,” Guimond said. “This is a war where women and children bear the highest burden. Every single day, from March 18 to 25, an average of 21 women and over 40 children were killed.”

She condemned the global community for its failure to stop the carnage, saying, “The world seems to be standing by, normalizing what should never be normalized.”

Guimond relayed firsthand testimonies from women in Gaza, many of whom expressed despair, fear, and exhaustion from continuous displacement. One woman from Deir al-Balah told UN Women: “My mother says, ‘Death is the same, whether in Gaza City or Deir al-Balah...We just want to return to Gaza.’” Another woman shared, “We’re glued to the news. Life has stopped. I’m terrified of being hit – every possible nightmare races through my mind.”

UN Women warned that the resumption of Israeli bombardments on March 18, following a short-lived ceasefire, had pushed Gaza’s already devastated population further into a humanitarian abyss. Guimond confirmed that since March 2, humanitarian aid has been blocked by Israeli authorities, worsening an already catastrophic situation.

She noted that during the brief ceasefire, there were signs of fragile hope—children playing, communities attempting to clear rubble, and women expressing tentative optimism for peace. *“And now,” she said, “that hope is gone.”

“For 539 days, the relentless war has ravaged Gaza, obliterating lives, homes, and futures. This is not merely a conflict; it is a war on women—on their dignity, their bodies, their very survival,” Guimond declared.

She reiterated UN Women’s urgent appeal for a permanent ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access, and respect for international humanitarian law.

“We must uphold the systems we established to protect humanity,” she urged, “and treat all humans equally.”

The speech added to growing international concern over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which rights organizations and humanitarian agencies have increasingly labeled as a disproportionate and indiscriminate assault on civilians—especially women and children.

As calls intensify for accountability and action, UN Women’s warning underscores the profound human cost of the ongoing war and the moral imperative to end what Guimond described as “a horror that persists while the world looks away.” (ILKHA)