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Rights groups under attack for defending women in Gaza

Women’s rights organizations in Gaza supported two young women who escaped their father’s violence, prompting an incitement campaign against these organizations due to the conservative nature of Gazan society.

Palestinian women watch from a building as demonstrators rally at Falluja cemetery in Jabalia,  where five youths were killed during the latest round of conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants before a cease-fire, Gaza Strip, Aug. 16, 2022.
Palestinian women watch from a building as demonstrators rally at Falluja cemetery in Jabalia, where five youths were killed during the latest round of conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants before a cease-fire, Gaza Strip, Aug. 16, 2022. — Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Wissam al-Taweel, a 21-year-old woman from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, sparked controversy in the coastal enclave after posting a series of videos on Facebook in September explaining how she and her sister Fatima, 20, jumped from the balcony of their house to escape the violence and death threats of their father, as official authorities fall short of providing protection for women suffering from domestic violence.

The videos prompted a support campaign on social media, under the Arabic hashtag that translates into “Save_Wissam_Fatima.”

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