Displaced Palestinians from shelters in Beit Hanoun cross the main Salaheddine road into Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip following Israeli army evacuation orders on November 12, 2024. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
THE TIMES OF ISRAEL | Published November 14, 2024
Group argues Israel can’t displace people purely based on ‘presence of armed groups’; Israel has said it’s committed to international law and that Gazans can return home after war
Human Rights Watch asserted in a report released Thursday that Israel’s repeated evacuation orders in Gaza amount to the “war crime of forcible transfer” and to “ethnic cleansing” in parts of the Strip.
“Human Rights Watch has amassed evidence that Israeli officials are…committing the war crime of forcible transfer,” the report said.
“Israel’s actions appear to also meet the definition of ethnic cleansing” in the areas where Palestinians will not be able to return, HRW added.
Nadia Hardman, an HRW researcher, noted the 172-page report’s findings are based on interviews with displaced Gazans, satellite imagery and public reporting conducted until August 2024.
The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to Times of Israel requests for comment on Thursday’s report. The IDF has previously said it is committed to international law and operates accordingly, noting frequent evacuation orders it issues ahead of strikes to protect civilians.
READ FULL ARTICLE
SOURCE: www.timesofisrael.com
RELATED: Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of mass displacement in Gaza amounting to a war crime
Palestinians displaced from shelters in Beit Hanoun cross into Jabalia, northern Gaza following Israeli army evacuation orders on November 12, 2024.
CNN | Published November 14, 2024
The 154-page report, published by the US-based advocacy group on Thursday, details more than 13 months of widespread destruction in Gaza that, according to the United Nations, has seen the displacement of about 1.9 million Palestinians – more than 90% of the territory’s population.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) cited the illegal and “deliberate, controlled demolitions of homes and civilian infrastructure,” by Israeli forces in Gaza “where they have apparent aims of creating ‘buffer zones’ and security ‘corridors,’ from which Palestinians are likely to be permanently displaced.”
“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, a HRW refugee and migrant rights researcher.
“Israel has blatantly violated its obligation to ensure Palestinians can return home, razing virtually everything in large areas.”
Be the first to comment