“However, we are strong and we believe in the firmness of our people,” the official said during a meeting in Cairo, Egypt, with members of the General Union of Palestinian Women, Wafa news agency reported.

Al-Khalili pointed out that the Palestinian leadership works “to stop the conspiracy that seeks to eliminate our nation project.”

At the meeting, the minister explained the consequences of the war in the Gaza Strip, where more than two million people live. She also referred to Israel’s attacks on the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

“Palestinian women are paying a high price due to the killings by (Israel’s) occupation,” she stressed, quoting reports from international organizations that confirm cases of rape and harassment of women detained in Israeli concentration camps and prisons.

The United Nations warned recently that at least 557,000 women in the Gaza Strip face severe food insecurity and various gender vulnerabilities.

UN Women warned in a statement that “the situation is particularly worrying for mothers and adult women, who often prioritize feeding others over themselves. (…)

Women face more difficulties to access food compared to men, leading many to skip meals or reduce their intake to ensure their children are fed,” the agency stressed.

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