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MEDIA ADVISORY: New paper on exploitation of Palestinian women working in illegal Israeli settlements

Paper released as West Bank sees escalations in Israeli military and settler violence, killings, injuries, forced displacements, residential demolitions and movement restrictions.

Oxfam has released a briefing paper Palestinian Women Working in Illegal Israeli Settlements: Dependencies, Exploitation, and Opportunity Costs, shedding light on the harrowing daily realities faced by many vulnerable Palestinian women employed in exploitative and harsh conditions in illegal Israeli settlements, where their rights are being systematically violated. 

The paper, which draws on data and case studies from two key reports by Oxfam’s partners: the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) and the Mother School Society (MSS), examines the lives of women working in illegal Israeli settlements, highlighting the emotional, physical, economic and social consequences of this growing trend, and the ways in which expanding settlements continue to devastate Palestinian livelihoods, particularly in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem).  

Interviewed women spoke of being forced to work without contracts, sometimes in hazardous working conditions, over long hours, with some being subjected to harassment.   

More than 6,500 Palestinian women currently work in Israeli settlements, primarily in agriculture (65.5%) and manufacturing (33.3%), with the number steadily increasing.  

Key findings of the report include: 

  • No contracts: The vast majority of women working in Israeli settlements (94%) do not have written contracts, leaving them acutely vulnerable to financial and labor exploitation and unable to address violations of their rights.

  • Hazardous working conditions: According to Oxfam’s partner, Mother School Society’s survey of Palestinian women, a staggering 93% of these women reported working in unhealthy and unsafe conditions. Examples include working in fields exposed to hazardous pesticides without safety regulations or protective equipment.

  • Long hours: Over 71% of women indicated long working hours as a major burden and challenge both for themselves and their families. A significant portion of them said they worked two shifts, morning and evening, to earn enough money, resulting in chronic mental and physical stress and exhaustion.

  • Job Insecurity: Many women reported having to face long and costly commutes, a lack of health insurance and injury compensation. Many also lacked Israeli-approved work permits, which are required to legally access jobs in settlements, leaving them more vulnerable to exploitation and sudden dismissal.

  • Harassment: Somen women reported wage theft and employees withholding promised benefits, making racial discriminations, as well as harassment, sexual assault, sexual harrassment and physical violence. 

43-year-old Dalal, said: 

“I’ve been working in the settlement for 8 years, I’m the sole provider for my family. Financially, things are tough and my husband is unemployed. If no-one works, who will take care of the household expenses? We only earn 90 shekels a day ($24), what can you buy with that?” 

Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s OPTI Policy Lead, said:  

“We’re urging the international community to end the exploitative employment of Palestinian women in these settlements and uphold their rights and protections.  

“Palestinians living in the West Bank are growing increasingly dependent on settlements for jobs but this is less by choice and more the result of decades of Israeli policies that have eroded the Palestinian economy. Israeli settlement expansion, land confiscation, and restrictions on Palestinian trade, movement, and development have created conditions of poverty and unemployment, forcing more Palestinian women into exploitative labor.  The international community must act to dismantle these injustices and ensure Palestinian women have access to dignified and lawful employment within their own economy.” 

The report calls for assurances of Palestinians’ access to land and resources, ending the exploitation of their labor, and enabling them to build resilient local economies. Only by addressing these root causes and holding the Government of Israel accountable for its actions can Palestinians reclaim their rights to dignified work, economic security, and self-determination. 

Ending the system of oppression requires a just and urgent solution – dismantling the illegal settlements and ending the occupation. 

Notes to editors

Contact information:

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Personal to Powerful Report

Thirty years on from the commitments enshrined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) this briefing reveals a picture of broken promises and unfulfilled ambition by States. This failure is not just due to a lack of political will, but also an economic system that is unequal by design. A range of right-wing, religious, and conservative actors around the world are capitalising on persistent crises, to reorient state power towards a reassertion of racist and sexist profit-driven systems that favours the wealthy, privileges men, and harms and disadvantages women and LGBTQIA+ people in the name of ‘traditional’ family values. This diminishes governments’ capacity to protect, respect, promote, and fulfil bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice. As world leaders prepare to review their commitments to the BPfA, the consolidation and mainstreaming of these anti-rights movements risk eroding the hard-won gains of feminist, LGBTQIA+ activists and movements, ultimately breaking the social contract between the state and people.

Read report here. 

Israel blocks aid to Gaza as Ramadan begins – Oxfam reaction

Israel’s decision, to block aid to over two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as Ramadan begins, is a reckless act of collective punishment, explicitly prohibited under international humanitarian law. The Government of Israel, as occupying power has the responsibility to ensure that humanitarian aid can reach the population in Gaza. 

Humanitarian aid is not a bargaining chip for applying pressure on parties, but a fundamental right of civilians experiencing urgent need in challenging and life-threatening circumstances. 

When our teams assessed the conditions in Gaza in the wake of the January 19th announcement of a temporary ceasefire, they encountered apocalyptic scenes of complete destruction and famine-like conditions.  

People in Gaza are in need of everything:  lifesaving water, food, sanitation and other necessities, as well as equipment critically needed for restoration of water and electricity. The goods that were able to enter during the weeks of ceasefire have brought some relief but remain a drop in the ocean.   

The international community must apply immediate pressure on Israel to ensure vital aid urgently gets into Gaza. The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to ensure aid deliveries at scale throughout Gaza.  

Oxfam Reaction to USAID Funding Cuts in DRC

Commenting on news today that the US has confirmed the termination of USAID funding for multiple life-saving projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Oxfam Country Director Manenji Mangundu said: 

“These USAID cuts will have an immediate and devastating impact on millions of the world’s most vulnerable people who depend on humanitarian aid for survival.  

“For the half a million people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, already desperate for food, water and shelter due to the spiralling conflict, the impact will be immediate and life-threatening. 

“USAID was the leading donor in DRC and most aid agencies here relied on its funding to provide life-saving assistance. Without it, agencies will be forced into having to make terrible triage decisions including who gets to live and who might needlessly die. 

“The health of up to one million people could be at risk due to the impact of this decision on the work of humanitarian agencies in the DRC. We will be forced to cut vital clean water and sanitation services, increasing the risk of the spread of cholera, measles and mpox.  

“Multiply this by all the humanitarian agencies dependent on USAID funding not only in DRC but around the world, and the impact of this decision will be catastrophic.” Ends 

For more information contact Rachel Schaevitz at [email protected]

Notes to Editors

  • Oxfam is helping over 670,000 people in eastern DRC with food, clean water, sanitation, cash assistance as well as hygiene kits for women and girls. Renewed fighting has led to an escalation of the humanitarian crisis with camps for displaced people destroyed and vital water and sanitation infrastructure damaged.  
  • The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the leading humanitarian donor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Last year’s report indicates that it provided over $838 million in 2024 alone, including $414 million specifically for humanitarian needs resulting from the ongoing conflict and displacement. 

Ukrainian agency toward peace must be honored and preserved: Oxfam

In response to the US-Russia meeting yesterday (Feb 18) on the future of the war in Ukraine, Nicola Bay, Director of the Oxfam in Ukraine Response Team said: 

“Any path toward a genuinely sustainable and just peace must obviously include Ukrainians, with the voice and agency of Ukrainian women and civil society made prominent. Russia’s invasion breached international law and its act of aggression must not be rewarded. Legitimizing an act of aggression risks setting a dangerous precedent that would threaten the very fabric of the international laws that are designed to prevent wars before they start. Whether or not Ukraine and Russia agree to negotiate a peace plan, civilians must be protected from harm, in line with the countries’ obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.” 

“The Ukrainian people have been the backbone of all the efforts to respond to the humanitarian crisis sparked by Russia’s illegal war. Despite being underfunded and often marginalized, local Ukrainian organizations have shown remarkable strength, determination, and the have been successful in helping to save people’s lives and provide them with aid and support.”

Contact information

Rhea Catada, Communications Manager Oxfam Ukraine Response: [email protected] 

Less than seven percent of pre-conflict water levels available to Rafah and North Gaza, worsening a health catastrophe

 – Nearly 1,700 kilometres of water and sanitation networks have been destroyed

– Big-ticket repairs of networks urgently needed but Israeli government balks in approving supplies

The resumption of aid into Gaza, including fuel to operate undamaged water and sanitation facilities along with water trucking, has improved the amount of water available to people in some parts of Gaza. But the picture remains extremely bleak and dangerously critical, especially in the North Gaza and Rafah governorates, warned Oxfam today.

Fifteen months of Israel’s military assault has destroyed 1,675 kilometres of water and sanitation networks. In North Gaza and Rafah governorates, which have suffered the most destruction, less than seven percent of pre-conflict water levels is available to people, heightening the spread of waterborne diseases.

As fragile ceasefire negotiations hang in the balance, any renewed violence or disruption to fuel and the already inadequate aid would trigger a full-scale public health disaster.

Carlos Calderon, Oxfam Aotearoa’s Head of Partnerships and Humanitarian said:

“No human can survive more than a few days without water. In Gaza, over two million people are being forced to drink from unsafe sources, while overflowing sewage networks create a breeding ground for deadly diseases we once conquered. This is a second humanitarian catastrophe in the making. What we do next will define who we are as a society.”

Clémence Lagouardat, Oxfam’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza said:

“Now that the bombs have stopped, we have only just begun to grasp the sheer scale of destruction to Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure. Most vital water and sanitation networks have been entirely lost or paralyzed, which is creating catastrophic hygiene and health conditions.

“Our staff and partners have told how people are stopping them in the streets asking for water, and that parents are not drinking to save water for their children. It is heartbreaking to hear about children having to walk for miles for a single jerrycan of water.”

In the North Gaza governorate, almost all water wells have been destroyed by the Israeli military. Over 700,000 people have returned to find entire neighbourhoods wiped out. For the few whose homes remain standing, water is non-existent due to the destruction of rooftop storage tanks.

In Rafah, over 90 percent of water wells and reservoirs have been partially or completely damaged, and water production is less than five percent of its capacity before the conflict. Only two out of 35 wells are currently operational.

Despite efforts to resume water production since the ceasefire, the destruction of Gaza’s water pipelines means that 60 percent of water is leaking into the ground rather than reaching people.

Oxfam and partners’ initial assessment after the ceasefire found:

– More than 80 percent of water and sanitation infrastructure across the Gaza Strip has been partially or entirely destroyed, including all six major wastewater treatment plants.

– 85 percent of the sewage pumping stations (73 out of 84) and networks have been destroyed. Some have been repaired but urgently require fuel to operate.

– 85 percent of small desalination plants (85 out of 103) have been partially damaged or completely destroyed.

– 67 percent of the 368 municipal wells have been destroyed. Most of the private small wells cannot function due to lack of fuel or generators.

The lack of safe water, combined with untreated sewage overflowing in the streets has triggered an explosion of waterborne and infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organisation, 88 percent of environmental samples surveyed across Gaza were found contaminated with polio, signalling an imminent risk of outbreak. Infectious diseases including acute watery diarrhoea and respiratory infections – now the leading causes of death – are also surging, with 46,000 cases, mostly children, being reported each week.

Chickenpox and skin diseases such as scabies and impetigo are also spreading rapidly, particularly among displaced populations in the Northern Gaza Governorate, where water shortages are most severe.

Meanwhile, with no waste collection and transport for over 15 months, more than 2,000 tonnes of garbage has been piling up in the streets every day. This toxic combination of open sewage, uncollected waste and contaminated water is creating a perfect storm for a deadly disease outbreak.

Lagouardat said: “Despite the increase in aid since the ceasefire, Israel continues to severely impair critical items needed to begin repairing the massive structural damage from its airstrikes. This includes desperately needed pipes for repairing water and sanitation networks, equipment like generators to operate wells.”

Oxfam’s own 85 tonne-shipment of water pipes, fittings and water tanks – worth over $480,000 – had been held up for over six months because it was deemed as dual-use and “oversized” to enter. Israeli authorities only finally approved the shipment this week, although it has yet to enter.

Lagouardat said: “Hundreds of thousands of displaced people across the Gaza Strip have had to resort to digging makeshift cesspits next to their tents. This daily discharge of approximately 130,000 cubic meters – the equivalent of 52 Olympic pools – of untreated sewage is contaminating the Mediterranean Sea and Gaza’s only aquifer.

“Rebuilding water and sanitation is vital for Gaza to have a path to normalcy after 15 months of horror. The ceasefire must hold, and fuel and aid must flow so that Palestinians can rebuild their lives. Lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis can only come through a permanent ceasefire and a just solution.”

Notes to the editor

– Oxfam has recent photos and footage of water and sanitation destruction in Gaza and can be downloaded HERE (valid until 14 May 25)

– According to the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) as of February 2025, a total of 1675 km out of 4,800 km of Gaza’s water and sanitation networks have been partially or entirely destroyed since October 2023. This includes 350km in North Gaza, 495km in Gaza City, 240 Km in the Middle area, 350km in Khan Younis, and 240km in Rafah respectively.

– Data on water and sanitation destruction is based on the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) Rapid Damage Assessment Report, January 2025.

– Data on cost of infrastructure repair is based on Gaza Municipality Planning and Investment Unit report of December 31, 2024.

– According to Oxfam’s Water War Crimes report, the Gaza population had access to 82.7 litres per person per day before 7 October 2023. Currently Rafah has less than five percent of that amount; and North Gaza governorates have less than seven percent of that amount, or 5.7 litres per person per day.

– According to the 10 Feb 2025 WASH Cluster report: only two (out of 35) wells in Rafah are currently operational.

– Acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) in children under five years old was reported to be 13,179 cases. This accounts for approximately 54% of the total registered cases of AWD. Also, 21 out of 24 Polio environmental surveyed samples across Gaza (88%) were positive. Source: Polio Global Eradication Initiative (WHO & UN) on 1 Feb 2025

– UNOSAT latest data collected on 1 December 2024 identified 60,368 destroyed structures, 20,050 severely damaged structures, 56,292 moderately damaged structures, and 34,102 possibly damaged structures for a total of 170,812 structures. The governorates of North Gaza and Rafah have experienced the highest rise in damage compared to the 6 September 2024 analysis, with around 3,138 new structures damaged in North Gaza and around 3,054 in Rafah. Within North Gaza, Jabalya municipality had the highest number of newly damaged structures, totalling 1,339.