Written by: Reema Kataneh Nazzal
The upcoming meeting of the United Nations Security Council on October 24th, 2024 will commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Resolution 1325. This landmark resolution emphasizes the crucial role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction and stresses the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.
In preparing for the annual evaluation meetings of Resolution 1325, at a time when Palestinian women and their people are enduring an ongoing aggression, it was natural to listen to experienced voices and brainstorm the key messages to convey to decision-makers, considering the most important angles from their perspective with depth and engaging clarity. It was no surprise to learn that those we are meeting with have a deep understanding of the realities on the ground. They are well-informed about the context of the aggression, including the dismantling of the two-state solution in favor of the occupying state. They recognize the militarization and politicization of women's bodies, stemming from a pervasive Israeli narrative that demonizes Palestinian women as bearers of resistance, and legitimizes their violation.
They are aware of the violations occurring in the occupation’s prisons and the humiliation endured by detainees. They understand the war's devastating impact on education and employment, the unsafe childbirth conditions in displacement tents, and the destruction of UNRWA schools, that encompass displaced persons. They recognize the ongoing famine and blockade that prevents food and medical supplies from reaching Gaza, as well as the plans to annex northern Gaza and reestablish illegal settlements there. The borders that once separated Palestinian cities blur, leading to greater isolation of Palestinian cities.
Perhaps what they say is entirely true and accurate, and what global hypocrisy fails to acknowledge, after the occupation's demonization campaign, is that Palestinians have been dehumanized, equated with animals and insects, and stripped of their humanity—descendants of Adam and Eve, like all people, with the same blood running through their veins. It seems some in the world are unaware of this, and we must make it unmistakably clear: we feel the same emotions, we cry, grieve, and love. Otherwise, how can we explain the persistent failure to stop the war, the bloodshed on screens, and the ongoing transformation of Palestinians into broken pieces—orphans, widows, the bereaved, and disabled?
The United Nations and the international community seem powerless to protect relief workers, as the occupying forces have killed over two hundred UNRWA employees and five members of the World Central Kitchen operating in Gaza. Even the UN Secretary-General has not been spared, being declared persona non grata, while the state's representative brazenly tears up the UN Charter in front of the world without challenge. Meanwhile, international journalists are barred from the Strip, allowing the occupying forces to continue their unchecked campaign of blackmail and intimidation, free from accountability or oversight.
The Security Council meeting on the implementation of Resolution 1325 offers an opportunity to present urgent arguments, highlight the situation of Palestinian women, and address the devastating effects of the ongoing aggression. It is a chance to call for a new resolution specifically aimed at protecting them from the occupying forces’ brutality, even if no international force has proven immune to killings or aggression. The occupation’s efforts to sideline UNIFIL in southern Lebanon demonstrate how it manipulates international protection, clearing the way for massacres without witnesses. If any party deserves condemnation and criminalization, it is the occupying state and its forces, where racism has reached an indescribable level, detached from basic human values.
Washington, echoing the occupying forces’s tune, turns a deaf ear to the truth, ignoring the protests in the streets and disregarding objections to its unwavering support for Israel, even within narrow official circles. Berlin and London follow the same path. Several resignations have occurred in high-ranking positions, including that of Veteran State Department official Stacy Gilbert, who resigned after twenty years of service. Despite working on humanitarian crises, she grew frustrated after months of unsuccessfully pushing for increased aid to Palestinians in Gaza, while the US administration continued to supply lethal weapons instead.
In the twenty-fourth evaluation of Resolution 1325, despite its critical importance in upholding international human rights and protecting women from the effects of wars and conflicts, as well as its call to hold perpetrators accountable, it has once again proven unable to fulfill its mission. This is due to its failure to invoke Article Seven of the United Nations Charter, which allows the Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to take military and nonmilitary action to "restore international peace and security." As a result, true progress can only be achieved through the United Nations General Assembly, which reflects the collective will of the international community and its pursuit of justice. This necessitates a bold decision from the international body to transfer the powers of the Security Council to the General Assembly, avoiding further stagnation.
Source: Al-Ayyam
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's views and not necessarily the Association's or donor's opinion.