Uproar in Gaza after Palestinian man kills wife
Uproar in Gaza after Palestinian man kills wife
A forensic report showed 31-year-old Noha Khzaiq died from her injuries after being assaulted, the Gaza health ministry said.
2 min read
An average ofÌý22 women were lost to domestic violenceÌýin the West Bank and theÌýGaza StripÌýevery year fromÌý2012 to 2019 [Getty- stock photo]
A Palestinian man in the Gaza Strip hasÌýallegedly killed his wife,Ìýthe said on Saturday,Ìýin the latestÌýcase ofÌýÌýto spark anÌýuproar in the besieged enclave.Ìý
On Friday, the body of Noha Khzaiq, 31, was received by the Al-Shifaa hospital, withÌýsigns of blows and bruises," the Hamas-run health ministry said in a press statement.
A forensic report found thatÌýKhzaiq died from bleeding caused by chest bone fractures, the ministry said. The fractures were caused by assault, it added.
Meanwhile, Ayman al-Batniji, a spokesman of the police in Gaza, told °®Âþµº that "police arrested Mohammed Yasin, the woman's husband, as they were investigating the incident withÌýhim," adding that "he admitted that he had assaulted her".
He added that "the case and the suspectÌýwere referred to the Public Prosecution to complete the legal procedures".
The murderÌýsparked a wave of anger among Gazans, who called on the local authorities to impose a deterring punishment on husbands who practice domestic violence against their wives and children.
Islam Qudaih, a Gaza-based woman in her 30s, told °®Âþµº "I cannot believe a man would dare hit his wife cruelly, abuse her and kill her... How did he get the courage and the strength to commit a crime like this?"
The mother-of-three added: "Unfortunately, the customs and traditions of our community enableÌýthe man to abuse his wife and deprive her of her rights to live in dignity."
"Even if she asks for a divorce from her abusiveÌýhusband, the law will not letÌýher keepÌýher children," she said.
Women are being killed at an alarming rate in the Gaza Strip, where a traditional s still prioritises political issues over justice and the protection of women’s lives.
An average ofÌý22 women were lost to domestic violenceÌýin the West Bank and theÌýGaza StripÌýevery year fromÌý2012 to 2019, according to the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies.Ìý
The number shot up toÌý38Ìýin 2020, whenÌýtheÌýCovid-19 pandemic forced people to stay home, according to theÌýWomen's CenterÌýfor Legal Aid and Counselling.Ìý
Palestinian women live withÌýoutdated lawsÌýdating back to the Ottoman, British, Jordanian and Egyptian eras that many argueÌýare no longer relevant in 2021.
Palestine has joined several international agreements on women's rights in the past decade, including theÌýUN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against WomenÌýin 2014.Ìý
Ìý
