HRW report accuses 'Israel' of war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Gaza
Displaced Palestinians inspect their tents destroyed by Israeli bombardment, adjunct to a UNRWA facility west of Rafah city, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP)
Since October 2023, "Israel" has been responsible for the large-scale, intentional forced displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to a report released today by Human Rights Watch. The report comes amid a brutal Israeli war and total blockade in northern Gaza, which has likely triggered a new wave of displacement, affecting hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The 154-page report, titled “‘Hopeless, Starving, and Besieged’: Israel’s Forced Displacement of Palestinians in Gaza,” outlined how Israeli actions have led to the displacement of more than 90% of Gaza's population—about 1.9 million Palestinians—and caused extensive destruction across the region over the past 13 months.
According to the report, Israeli forces have intentionally demolished homes and civilian infrastructure, especially in areas where they seem to be establishing "buffer zones" and security "corridors," leading to the likely permanent displacement of Palestinians. HRW asserted that these actions, contrary to claims by Israeli officials, are in violation of the laws of war.
“The Israeli government cannot claim to be keeping Palestinians safe when it kills them along escape routes, bombs so-called safe zones, and cuts off food, water, and sanitation,” said Nadia Hardman, refugee and migrant rights researcher at HRW. “Israel has blatantly violated its obligation to ensure Palestinians can return home, razing virtually everything in large areas.”
"Israel's" mass displacement of Gaza civilians violates international law
The report went on to say that the laws of armed war in occupied territories only permit the displacement of civilians in exceptional circumstances, such as for imperative military reasons or to protect the population's security. These laws also require adequate safeguards and proper accommodation for forcibly displaced civilians.
Israeli officials argue that the forcible displacement of civilians is lawful, alleging the presence of Palestinian Resistance groups operating within civilian areas, and claiming that the military evacuations aim to target these groups while minimizing harm to civilians. However, HRW’s research largely debunks this claim.
HRW found that there is no legitimate military necessity to justify the mass displacement of nearly Gaza’s entire population, often multiple times. The evacuation process has inflicted significant harm on civilians and has primarily spread fear and uncertainty. Instead of ensuring safety for displaced individuals, Israeli forces have repeatedly attacked designated evacuation routes and so-called safe zones.
The evacuation orders have been inconsistent, often inaccurate, and frequently not communicated to civilians in time for them to evacuate. In many cases, these orders were not issued at all, and they failed to address the needs of people with disabilities or others who required assistance to leave.
'Israel's' blockade and destruction of Gaza's infrastructure worsens humanitarian crisis
As the occupying power, "Israel" has a responsibility to provide adequate facilities for forcibly displaced civilians. However, HRW noted that "Israel" has blocked most of the humanitarian aid, water, electricity, and fuel needed by civilians in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes have also damaged vital resources, including hospitals, schools, water and energy infrastructure, bakeries, and agricultural land, further worsening the dire situation for Gaza’s population, as per the report.
"Israel" is obligated to ensure the return of forcibly displaced Palestinians once hostilities have ended. However, according to the report, "Israel" has made large areas of Gaza uninhabitable by intentionally demolishing or severely damaging civilian infrastructure, including controlled demolitions of homes. This destruction appears aimed at creating a long-term "buffer zone" along Gaza’s border with "Israel" and a corridor that would divide Gaza, suggesting an intention to permanently displace many residents.
Human Rights Watch asserted that "Israel" must respect Palestinians' right to return to their homes in Gaza. For nearly eight decades, Israeli authorities have denied the right of return to 80% of Gaza’s population—refugees and their descendants expelled or who fled in 1948 during what Palestinians refer to as the "Nakba," or catastrophe. This ongoing violation continued to shape the experience of Palestinians in Gaza, with many survivors describing their situation as living through a "second Nakba."
The 'Gaza Nakba'
Since the early days of the war, senior Israeli government officials have openly expressed their intent to displace Gaza's Palestinian population. Israeli ministers have declared that Gaza's territory will shrink, that the destruction of Gaza is "beautiful," and that land will be given to settlers. In November 2023, Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Avi Dichter, stated, "We are now rolling out the Gaza Nakba."
In its reports, Human Rights Watch has found that forced displacement in Gaza has been widespread, systematic, and a result of state policy, constituting crimes against humanity. The organized and violent displacement of Palestinians, who belong to a different ethnic group, is likely intended to be permanent in the buffer zones and security corridors established by Israeli authorities, as per the report.
These actions are considered ethnic cleansing, the report stressed.
For decades, victims of serious Israeli abuses have faced impunity. Palestinians in Gaza have endured an unlawful blockade for 17 years, which is part of the ongoing crimes against humanity, including apartheid and persecution, committed by Israeli authorities.
HRW urged governments to publicly condemn "Israel's" forced displacement of civilians in Gaza, calling it both a war crime and a crime against humanity. The organization called on governments to pressure "Israel' to immediately stop these actions and comply with the International Court of Justice’s binding rulings, as well as the obligations set out in its July advisory opinion.
The report also urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor to investigate "Israel's" forced displacement of Palestinians and its prevention of the right of return as crimes against humanity. Additionally, HRW called for governments to condemn efforts to intimidate or obstruct the ICC’s work, and urged them to implement targeted sanctions and review bilateral agreements with "Israel" to ensure the country adheres to its international obligations to protect civilians.
HRW urges allies to halt military aid to "Israel" to avoid complicity in war crimes
Human Rights Watch also urged the United States, Germany, and other nations to immediately halt weapons transfers and military aid to "Israel". Continuing to supply arms to "Israel" risks complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other severe human rights violations, as per the report.
"No one can be in denial about the atrocity crimes the Israeli military is committing against Palestinians in Gaza," said Nadia Hardman. "Transfer of additional weapons and assistance to Israel by the United States, Germany, and others is a blank check for further atrocities and increasingly puts them at risk of complicity."