ON SEPTEMBER 2024, AN INTERNATIONAL WOMEN DELEGATION, OPINION LEADERS FROM UKRAINE AND MOLDOVA VISITED ISRAEL TO DISCUSS THE NATION’S KEY CHALLENGES, INCLUDING THE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES OF HAMAS’S ATTACKS ON OCTOBER 7, 2023.
The visit began at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a detailed briefing on the country’s current security situation. A significant focus of the discussions was given to the violent actions of Hamas, particularly the sexual and physical violence inflicted on the hostages. The delegation also visited Yad Vashem, World Holocaust Remembrance Center, and toured the Old City of Jerusalem including sites that are holy for all 3 religions.
During the week, the delegation traveled to southern Israel to see the aftermath of the brutal massacre at the Nova festival and other locations targeted by Hamas. They visited the city of Sderot and spoke with local residents, and with the Deputy Mayor of Sderot. The tour in the south was conducted under military guidance due to ongoing security challenges.
On their trip to northern Israel, the delegation visited the Technion and received a briefing from the Alma Institute on the northern front’s challenges. In a Druze village near the Lebanese border, local families shared stories of living under constant threats from shelling. The day concluded with a meeting with a famous female journalist who covers conflict zones, including Ukraine.
As part of the visit, the delegation also paid a visit to the families of hostages and missing persons forum and the Hostages Square and heard about the need to bring them home.
They also visited the Levinshtein Hospital, where Ukrainian servicemen were undergoing rehabilitation as part of the humanitarian aid program of MASHAV (Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs). They learned about the treatment that wounded Israeli soldiers are going through and met with women holding leadership roles in Israeli society to discuss the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and the efforts to strengthen Israel’s resilience.
