Ref: 101/2018 

On Tuesday, 18 September 2018, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) deeply condemns the killing of a woman, R. S. (43), from Khan Younis, by her father and calls for taking legal action to stop such crimes and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

According to PCHR’s sources, at approximately 10:45 on Tuesday, 18 September 2018, the police was informed that a woman; R. S., was strangled to death by her father at his house in central Khan Younis. The police then arrested the father, opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and referred the woman’s’ dead body to the Forensic Department.

PCHR expresses its deep concern over the growing phenomenon of killing women on various grounds that is considered the most extreme form of violence practiced against women in the Palestinian society. According to the statistics available at PCHR for the past 5 years, the number of women who were killed on various grounds is 56 women in the West Bank and Gaza strip; 13 of which were killed on grounds of the so-called “family honor.”

PCHR condemns these crimes and expresses its deep concern over the increase in the number of murders of women on various grounds.  Thus PCHR calls for taking the necessary measures to end these crimes, and

1. Calls for a serious investigation into the killing of R. S. and for bringing those involved in the crime to justice;
2. Calls for prosecuting the perpetrators of the so-called “family honor” murders that shall be treated as willful killings; and
3. Calls for exert more efforts to end this crime and raise awareness on its risks in the Palestinian society.