32 femicide cases recorded in Israel in 2025, up from 20 the previous year

There have been 32 instances of femicide in Israel in 2025, in a sharp uptick from the previous year, when 20 cases were recorded, according to an annual report published this morning by the Israel Observatory on Femicide.

Femicide refers to the intentional murder of women or girls because of their gender.

An additional 12 women were murdered in non-femicide-related cases throughout the past 11 months, bringing the total number of women murdered in Israel between January 1 and November 18, 2025, to 44.

The report, published ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, finds that 18 Jewish Israelis were murdered in cases deemed to be femicide in 2025, up from 10 Jewish Israelis last year.

In the Arab Israeli sector, there is a slight increase, with 13 cases of femicide this year, compared to 10 in 2024.

The most common weapon used to murder women in 2025 was a firearm, the observatory finds, which was used in 14 separate instances. In most cases, the guns were illegally obtained, but in three instances, Jewish women were murdered with a registered firearm.

In light of the rising femicide cases, the observatory, led by Prof. Shalva Weil, recommends that the Knesset pass new legislation aimed specifically at combating violence against women.

It also notes that Israel has not signed onto the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence — known colloquially as the Istanbul Convention — and urges it to do so.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had supported the push to join the landmark treaty while serving as justice minister from 2021 to 2022, but there have been no attempts under the current government to join.