Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including massive forced displacements that amount to ethnic cleansing, according to Human Rights Watch.
A new report released by the New York-based rights group said people have been killed while evacuating under Israeli orders and in Israeli-designated humanitarian zones, where hundreds of thousands are crammed into squalid tent camps.
The report said the widespread demolition of homes and civilian infrastructure in Gaza – partly to carve a new road bisecting the territory and to establish a buffer zone along Israel’s border – was likely to “permanently displace” many Palestinians.
“Such actions of the Israeli authorities amount to ethnic cleansing,” Human Rights Watch said.
Palestinians line up for food distribution in Deir al-Balah (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the report.
Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed over 43,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Around 90% of the territory’s population have fled their homes, with many displaced multiple times. The Israeli offensive has also damaged or destroyed around two-thirds of homes and other buildings in Gaza, according to UN assessments.
Israel says it does not deliberately target civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths, saying the militants hide among civilians and operate in residential areas.
On Wednesday, 15 trucks carrying aid were allowed into northern Gaza, where aid groups have warned that a month-long Israeli offensive could cause a famine.
The trucks entered Gaza with aid from the United Arab Emirates, according to the military body handling aid deliveries into the territory, COGAT. It said the aid consisted of food and water as well as hygiene, shelter and medical supplies.
A Palestinian child carries humanitarian aid in Deir al-Balah (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)
Israeli forces have encircled the Gaza Strip’s northernmost areas for the past month, saying Hamas militants have regrouped there. Experts say the Israeli military campaign has caused a new wave of displaced civilians and warn that famine is imminent or may already be happening there.
Israel has also been striking deeper inside Lebanon since September as it escalates the war against Hezbollah.
The Israel-Hamas war began after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah group began firing into Israel on October 8 2023 in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza.
Since then, more than 3,200 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 14,200 wounded, the country’s Health Ministry reported. In Israel, 76 people have been killed, including 31 soldiers.