The family constitutes the fundamental building-block of Palestinian society. Family status is largely dependent upon its honor, much of which is determined by the respectability of its daughters, who can damage it irreparably by the perceived misuse of their sexuality E very year, hundreds of women and girls are murdered in the Middle East by male family members.
Palestinian activists campaigning for equality find it difficult to stop the killings altogether.
Legitimacy for such murders stems from a complex code of honor ingrained in the consciousness of some sectors of Palestinian society. Given that honor killings often remain a private family affair, no official statistics are available on the practice or its frequency. The report defined neither the period in which these murders took place nor the exact circumstances. Though a growing number of Palestinians find honor killings unacceptable, the practice continues. Women's organizations have mobilized against the killings, but are furious that the practice continues in spite of the legal prohibitions.