Women in 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Women In the 2023 Israel–Hamas war refers to the experience of Israeli and Gazan women as victims of violence, as combatants, as partners in leadership, and as participants in informational campaigns.

## Violence against women[edit]

Immediately after the surprise attack on Israel, testimonies emerged and videos reached the army containing testimonies that, in addition to the murders, Hamas employed methods of severe torture that included violence against women and sexual violence, including rape.[1][2][3][4]

Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari argues that the targeted attack against women and children, which included torture and rape, was a central goal aimed at spreading fear and terror, and is part of the use of violence against women as a weapon in war.[2][4]

Attorney Anat Tahon Ashkenazi wrote that the use of women as a weapon is recognized as a war crime.[5]

The reports of rape and sexual violence are based on testimonies from survivors of the massacre at the music festival near Re'im, and from other residents of Gaza envelope communities. These incidents were also reported on by rescuers. Forensic evidence is consistent with torture and rape, and videos were filmed by Hamas miltants themselves, some of them uploaded to social networks and Telegram by Hamas activists.[4][5][6][7]

## The home front[edit]

In the Gaza Strip, women have faced discrimination under Hamas's authoritarian Islamist rule, resulting in restrictions on their rights. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has sought to address challenges for women and girls, emphasizing the issues of overcrowding. UN facilities have implemented separate sleeping arrangements, with women and young children in one section and men in another, adhering to social codes to prevent harassment.[8] Despite these efforts, it has been reported that many women in shelters endure inadequate access to food and clean water, and are afraid of giving birth without the assistance of a doctor or midwife.[9] As of mid-November, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza reports that over 11,000 Palestinians have been killed since the onset of the war, with two-thirds of the casualties being women and minors.[10]

Many women in Israel have been affected by the slowdown in the economy during the war. Mothers struggle to return to work as child care frameworks have been suspended or operated in a partial emergency format. Many women had to move from their homes due to the evacuation of settlements.[11] Independent women or business owners experienced even more severe economic damage due to the inability to operate their business during the war. It was also found that many women were put on unpaid leave and the economic consequences of the war on the labor market affected women more than men.[12][13]

## Women in the IDF[edit]

Since the beginning of the 21st century, women's involvement in combat roles in the IDF has increased significantly, to the point that most combat roles are open to women, including flight, naval officers, armored corps, field intelligence, border police, special forces and more.[14] Women's service in the military and the IDF in particular is a controversial issue. In most of the world's armies, there is no formal mandatory conscription, certainly not for women, as exists in Israel, where there is a mandatory conscription law.[15]

### Field observers[edit]

In the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, 14 field observers from Battalion 414 at Nahal Oz base were murdered, an unprecedented number of female field soldiers killed in battle.[16] An unknown number of field observers are missing and some of them have been taken hostage. Additional field observers were locked in the war room and continued to work.[17] From testimony after the event, it appears that in the months preceding the surprise attack, the field observers warned of Hamas' preparations for an attack, intelligence gathering and unusual training.[18][19][20][21] According to the field observers, throughout this period, the senior command refused to listen to the warnings. "This is an apparatus made up entirely of young women and commanders," says one of them. "There is no doubt that if men were sitting at these screens, things would look different."[22]

In November 2023, a month after the battles, a new field observers war room for the Nahal Oz sector was inaugurated at Camp Re'im.[23][24]

### Caracal Battalion[edit]

Women in the Caracal Battalion tank unit joined the fighting against dozens of Hamas militants on Highway 232 in the Gaza envelope. Later the crew identified four terrorists in Moshav Yated and subdued them. The crew continued driving the tank towards Holit, broke through the gate of the kibbutz and advanced to the focal point of the incident together with other fighters, They engaged for about 40 minutes against a squad of 20 terrorists until the terrorists were repelled and killed.[25]

Lt. Col. Or Ben Yehuda, commander of the Caracal Battalion, fought at the head of a force that killed 15 armed Hamas militants in Yated after long hours of fighting.[26] In the battle of Sufa her battalion killed over a hundred Hamas militants under her command, and together with Shayetet 13 cleared the outpost of infiltrators saving dozens of soldiers.[27]

### Israeli Air Force[edit]

Women in the Israeli Air Force performed a variety of roles from the first day of the war. This includes pilots,[28] combat navigators,[29] and unmanned aerial vehicle operators.[30][29]

### Other IDF units[edit]

* Colonel Yarden Shukron-Yifrach, commander of Shahar Battalion in the Rescue and Training Brigade of the Home Front Command, led a force that fought terrorists on Zikim Beach and in Ofakim.[29]
* Commanders and fighters from the Lions of the Jordan Battalion participated in combat in the surrounding area.[29]
* Female soldiers participated in combat in the Navy in various roles,[31] such as maritime control operators, as well as saboteurs and fighters on warships.[29]
* Officers from the Home Front Command in a liaison unit to the local authority, in dozens of cities and authorities across the country, managing civilian readiness for missile attacks and returning to routine afterwards.[32]

* Lieutenant Ilan Elharar, commander of Battalion 13 of the Golani Brigade's Nahal Oz command post, rescued 7 soldiers from an attack by hundreds of terrorists on the command post.[33]

## Israel Police Force[edit]

Female officers played a significant role in Israel Police activities with the outbreak of the war. Six policewomen were killed in the line of duty.[34] Staff Sergeant Major Mor Shakuri was killed in a fight with terrorists on the roof of the Sderot Police Station. Senior policewomen were killed in battle with terrorists in Yakhini and Kibbutz Re'im.[35]

## Non-combatants[edit]

During the attack, civillian women fought as security coordinators, used their medical expertise and saved lives.

* Inbal Liberman \- On October 7, 2023, at 06:30, Red Color siren was heard at Kibbutz Nir Am signalling the inhabitants to enter protected spaces.Inbal Liberman, the security coordinator of the kibbutz, heard unusual noises near the kibbutz.[36] She prepared a work plan, set up ambushes for the terrorists, and stationed armed members along the kibbutz fence. Thanks to this early decision, dozens of casualties were prevented. The readiness team fought a tough gun battle for three hours against the terrorists, at the end of which two were killed and a third was injured. An IDF force, which arrived later, stormed the remaining terrorists outside the kibbutz. Everyone in the kibbutz was saved. On October 18, 2023, during the visit of U.S. President Joe Biden to Israel, he met with survivors of the attack including Liberman.[37][38]
* Rachel Adery \- At 7 in the morning, five Hamas terrorists broke into the home of Rachel Adery and her husband, shattered the windows, smashed their phones, and seized the couple. The terrorists were heavily armed with grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, and LAW missiles. The terrorists were in the house for 19 hours, during which Rachel served them cookies, coffee, lunch and talked with them. She went to the bathroom several times so the police outside the house would notice her, each time accompanied by one of the terrorists. Additionally, she bandaged one of the injured terrorists.[39][40] She signaled to her son, a police officer, the number of terrorists in her house (5) using her fingers. At 2 am, the couple was released by the police after negotiations between the police and the terrorists. Among the police who released them were officer Avitar Adery, the couple's son.[41][42][43]
* Michal Alon \- A mother of eight and an oncology nurse by profession, she came with her family to celebrate Simchat Torah at Zikim Base. During the attack on Israel, she was shot three times at close range but managed to guide the soldiers on how to treat their injured comrades, thus saving their lives. Despite being injured herself, she saved the life of a soldier who was injured in the head.[33]
* Tali Haddad \- mother of six from Ofakim, drove back and forth to the combat center to evacuate the wounded. She managed to evacuate 14 wounded under fire to the MDA station in the city, including her son.[44]

## References[edit]

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2. ^ a b גליקמן, איתן (2023-10-10). "השיחה האחרונה של עמית הפרמדיקית: "הצילה חיים עד הרגע האחרון"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
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22. ^ ""מי שיגיד שאי אפשר היה לדעת - משקר": התצפיתניות ראו את חמאס נערך לטבח, אך דבר לא נעשה". הארץ (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
23. ^ "חמ"ל התצפיתניות שהותקף בטבח נפתח במיקום חדש". mako. 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
24. ^ אלבז-אלוש, קורין (2023-11-07). "התצפיתניות חזרו לחמ"ל שבו נהרגו חברותיהן: "באנו לטרוף - בשבילן"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
25. ^ hagith100@gmail.com (2023-10-17). "גבורת הטנקיסטיות: הלוחמות שניהלו קרב על יישובי הדרום". כלבו – חיפה והקריות (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
26. ^ זיתון, יואב (2023-10-09). "הקצין בן ה-70 שחיסל מחבלים עם נשקו האישי, ואלו שנפצעו והמשיכו בקרב". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
27. ^ ""הגדוד שלי הרג כמאה מחבלים. מקווה שלא יהיו יותר ספקות לגבי בנות לוחמות" - וואלה! חדשות". וואלה! (in Hebrew). 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
28. ^ ״חרבות ברזל״ - מצורף תיעוד מהיערכות חיל-האוויר, retrieved 2023-11-19
29. ^ a b c d e חלוץ, דינה (2023-10-30). ""אחרי 7 באוקטובר אין יותר ספקות לגבי נשים לוחמות, הן עשו כל מה שנדרש"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
30. ^ "המטוסים האלה מורידים מאות מחבלים" | אני מפעילת כטמ"ם, retrieved 2023-11-19
31. ^ "עשרות סיכולים ותקיפות - 3 ימי לחימה מהעיניים של לוחמי הים. צפו". www.idf.il. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
32. ^ "לימודים בצל המלחמה: קציני פיקוד העורף מאתרים אזורים מוגנים". Ice (in Hebrew). 2023-11-11. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
33. ^ a b "גיבורי ישראל: בתוך התופת התגלתה רוחם של האזרחים והלוחמים". www.israelhayom.co.il. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
34. ^ "גבורת השוטרות: הגנו בגופן מפני המחבלים ונהרגו בקרב". mako. 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
35. ^ תורג'מן, מאיר (2023-10-17). "השוטרת הדתייה חילצה ברכבה עשרות פצועים מהתופת ברעים: "אנחנו לא גיבורים, עשינו את המשימה שלנו"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
36. ^ "הגיבורה של ניר עם: הרבש"צית שהצילה קיבוץ שלם ממחבלי החמאס | ישראל היום". www.israelhayom.co.il. 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
37. ^ "ביקור היסטורי של הנשיא ביידן בישראל: "יש לכם זמן למהלך בעזה" | חדשות 13". רשת 13 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
38. ^ "בזמן מתקפת המחבלים: הסיפור הבלתי יאומן של הצעירה שהצילה קיבוץ שלם". www.maariv.co.il. 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
39. ^ "רחל "משכה זמן" עד שחולצה: "הבאתי למחבלים שתייה. פינקתי אותם, צחקתי איתם" - וואלה! חדשות". וואלה! (in Hebrew). 2023-10-08. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
40. ^ דניאל, עומר (2023-10-09). "ניצחה את המחבלים עם קפה ועוגיות: רחל מאופקים הפכה לכוכבת ברשת". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
41. ^ קוריאל, אילנה (2023-10-09). "החילוץ המדהים של רחל מאופקים, שבנה ניהל מו"מ עם המחבלים | תיעוד המפגש לאחר הפריצה". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
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44. ^ קוטב, אדם (2023-10-12). "טלי מאופקים פינתה את בנה תחת אש - והמשיכה לעוד פצועים: "לא היה רגע דל"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-11-19.

* v
* t
* e

2023 Israel–Hamas war

* Timeline
* Outline

Battles|

* Hamas attack on Israel
* Re'im
* Sderot
* Sufa
* Zikim
* Israeli invasion of Gaza
* Beit Hanoun
* Gaza City
* Israel–Lebanon border clashes
* Israeli incursions into the West Bank
* Jenin incursion
* Tulkarm incursion

7 October
massacres|

* Re'im music festival
* Netiv HaAsara
* Alumim
* Be'eri
* Ein HaShlosha
* Holit
* Kfar Aza
* Kissufim
* Nahal Oz
* Nir Oz
* Nirim
* Yakhini
* Nir Yitzhak

Attacks|

| Health
facilities|

* Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion
* reactions
* Al-Shifa Hospital siege
* ambulance airstrike

|

Refugee
camps|

* Jabalia airstrikes
* 31 October
* Al-Shati airstrike
* Al-Maghazi refugee camp airstrike

Religious
structures|

* Church of Saint Porphyrius airstrike
* Al-Ansar Mosque airstrike
* Sabra mosque airstrike

Schools|

* UNRWA school airstrike
* Al-Fakhoora school airstrike
* Osama bin Zaid school airstrike
* Al-Buraq school airstrike
* Al-Falah School airstrike

Others|

* Hajji Tower airstrike
* Palestinians evacuating Gaza City

General topics|

* Kidnappings
* Israeli blockade of Gaza
* Palestinian rocket attacks
* Palestinian tunnel warfare
* anti-tunnel barrier
* Gaza–Israel conflict
* Iran–Israel proxy conflict
* Use of human shields by Hamas
* Houthi involvement
* Taba and Nuweiba drone attacks
* Women in 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Effects|

* Israeli war cabinet‎
* Economic impact
* Evacuations
* Operation Ajay
* Northern Gaza
* Humanitarian crisis
* Mass arrests
* Media coverage
* Disinformation
* Pallywood
* War crimes

| Reactions|

* Cancellation of the 2023 MTV EMA
* Denial of Hamas atrocities
* Diplomatic impact
* Islamic Summit Conference
* Kidnapped from Israel
* UNGAR ES-10/21
* Security Council Resolution 2712
* US support for Israel
* Arab Islamic summit

| Discrimination|

* Antisemitism
* Riots in the North Caucasus
* Anti-Palestinianism
* Islamophobia
* Violent incidents
* Killing of Wadea al-Fayoume
* Killing of Paul Kessler

|

Protests|

* United States
* Writers Against the War on Gaza
* National March on Washington: Free Palestine
* March for Israel
* DNC protests

Casualties|

| Israel|

| Security
forces|

* Alim Abdallah
* Jayar Davidov
* Eli Ginsberg
* Salman Habaka
* Roi Levy
* Izhar Peled
* Yonatan Steinberg

|

Civilians|

* Lior Asulin
* Hayim Katsman
* Ofir Libstein
* Shani Louk
* Aner Shapira
* Vivian Silver
* Yahav Winner

Palestine|

| Fighters|

* Fouad Abu Butihan [ar]
* Jihad Shehadeh [ar]
* Tulkarm Battalion [ar]
* Rafat Abu Hilal
* Popular Resistance

| Hamas|

* Omar Daraghmeh
* Abdul Fatah Dukhan
* Mohammed Dababish
* Ahmed Ghandour
* Osama Mazini
* Jihad Muheisen
* Murad Abu Murad
* Ayman Nofal
* Jamila al-Shanti
* Ali Qadhi

|

Civilians|

* Ahmad Bahar
* Rashid Dabour [ar]
* Omar Ferwana
* Hiba Abu Nada
* Ali Nasman
* Ibrahim al-Astal
* Omar Abu Shawish
* Wael Al Zard
* Mohamed al-Dalou
* Mohammed Shabir
* Hassan Zuaiter
* Ibrahim Qusaya
* Hammam Alloh
* Heba Zaqout

Journalists|

* Issam Abdallah
* Yaniv Zohar
* Roy Edan
* Violence
* Deaths

Related people|

* Oded Lifshitz [he]
* Wael Al-Dahdouh
* Plestia Alaqad
* Nimrod Aloni
* Noa Argamani
* Hersh Goldberg-Polin
* Motaz Azaiza
* Bisan Owda
* Inbal Rabin-Lieberman
* Amir Tibon

Other topics|

* Abducted and Missing Families Forum
* Al Qarara Cultural Museum
* Al-Saqqa House [ar]
* Bearing Witness
* "Policy paper: Options for a policy regarding Gaza's civilian population"
* 2023 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria
* Casualties of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip

* Category

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