The Center for Women’s Legal Researches, Counselling and Protection (CWLRCP) and the Women’s Affairs Center organized a silent vigil on Thursday, February 13, with the participation of representatives from women’s, human rights, and civil society organizations, to condemn the killings of women, the most recent of which was the murder of Mrs. Safaa Shakshak by her husband.

In a press release distributed during the vigil, the two centers expressed their deep concern about the increase in forms of societal violence in the Gaza Strip, which has culminated in an increase in crimes against women’s lives based on their vulnerability. They emphasized the need to address this issue given its seriousness and the fear of a further deterioration of the situation towards increasing crime rates.

The centers called on the governing authority in the Gaza Strip to bear its responsibilities and expedite the punishment of the perpetrator, in a way that constitutes a deterrent to anyone who might consider committing crimes, especially against women. They affirmed that there would be no leniency in punishing perpetrators in general in crimes of murder and violence in society in general, and crimes committed against women in particular, and to work on publishing the results of the investigation into the crimes directly, to form a deterrent to criminals and deviants and to anyone who considers committing such heinous crimes.

The two centers called on all political forces, especially Fatah and Hamas, to stand responsibly in the face of what is happening in the Gaza Strip, and to take the necessary steps to expedite the end of the division and restore national unity, and the need to work on issuing deterrent laws related to this issue, foremost of which is a new penal code and a law to protect the family from violence.