A/HRC/43/70 documented the death of six women under circumstances suggestive of gender-related killings.36 Although investigations had reportedly been opened, as at the end of the reporting period no case had been brought before a court.37 In one reported case, a 31-yearold woman who had been missing since 17 September 2019 was found killed and buried in the family home on 14 October. The father reportedly confessed to the killing. The younger sister of the victim was placed in a shelter due to protection concerns as she had reported the disappearance and made allegations of past violence by the father towards the victim.38 34. In one case in the West Bank, a 21-year-old woman was admitted to Beit Jala hospital on 10 August 2019 with spinal fractures. The following day, she was released while still in a serious condition at the request of her family. On 22 August, her family brought her dead body to the same hospital. On 29 August, the Palestinian Public Prosecution publicly declared that an investigation had been opened and the police later arrested the victim’s two brothers and brother-in-law, who were charged with manslaughter for beating the victim to death, charges that are pending court proceedings. This case raises concern that the response of the hospital staff and the police was inadequate in terms of the support provided and the promptness of the investigation. 35. Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons are continuously faced with physical and psychological violence by their families. For example, a lesbian woman in the West Bank who was kidnapped by family members after attempting to leave the country and who was subsequently locked inside the family house reported to OHCHR that her family would repeatedly threaten to kill her, tell her to kill herself and assault her. All victims of such violence reported fearing reprisals from the authorities and their families if they reported the incidents. 4. Restrictions of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly 36. Throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the civic space continued to shrink, with violations of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association committed by the Government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the authorities in Gaza. Human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organizations (Palestinian mainly but Israeli too) continued to be regularly the targets of arbitrary arrest, detention and attacks on their reputations. Human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territory were particularly affected because of who they were, what they represented or the rights they promoted, for example the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. Women human rights defenders faced additional and unique challenges.39 Women human rights defenders40 37. On 19 March, a female staff member of Amnesty International covering demonstrations inside Gaza was interrogated by Gaza security forces for several hours. She was subjected to abusive language and intimidation by four male police officers, including threats of prosecution for working as a foreign agent. 41 In northern West Bank, a woman human rights defender reported having repeatedly received criticisms through social media from the municipality of Qalqilya aimed at preventing an event on women’s rights in Azzun, in April 2019. Moreover, the Israeli security forces denied entry to a bus of participants on the day of the event. 38. On 27 September 2019, in East Jerusalem, a group of Palestinian women activists known as Tal’at organized a demonstration under the banner “free homeland, free women” 36 37 38 39 40 41 8 https://pchrgaza.org/en/?p=13489. Ibid. Ibid. See A/HRC/16/44 and Corr.1, paras. 32–88, and A/HRC/34/52, para. 22. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders defines women human rights defenders as female human rights defenders and any other human rights defenders who work in the defence of women’s rights or on gender issues (A/HRC/16/44 and Corr.1). www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/03/gaza-hamas-must-end-brutal-crackdown-againstprotesters-and-rights-defenders.