The unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas has left many Israelis feeling uneasy, and as a result, more women are requesting gun permits than ever before, a move that feminist organizations have denounced as a mad dash for weapons.
Based on data from the security ministry, since the attack, 42,000 women have applied for gun permits; of them, 18,000 have been granted, more than double the number of women who held licenses prior to the war.
The relaxation of firearms rules under the far-right security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Israel’s right-wing government has made the increase possible.
According to the ministry, around 15,000 women citizens in Israel and the occupied West Bank currently possess firearms, and 10,000 of them are engaged in mandatory training.
During a weapons handling session at a shooting range in the West Bank community of Ariel, political science professor Limor Gonen told AFP, “I would have never thought of buying a weapon or getting a permit, but since October 7, things changed a little bit.”
1,194 persons in Israel lost their lives as a result of the October 7 incident that started the conflict, the majority of them were civilians, according to an AFP count based on Israeli government statistics.
The health ministry of Gaza reports that at least 37,431 individuals have died as a result of Israel’s retaliatory offensive, the majority of whom were civilians.
Also Read:
Islamist Leader Killed by Israeli Strike, According to a Lebanese Source
Saudi Arabia Calls on all Countries to Cooperate in Order to Give Cybersecurity Top Priority
