GazaHerald – The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor issued a stark warning on Friday, accusing the Israeli army of executing a deliberate scorched-earth campaign aimed at forcing the mass displacement of Gaza City’s residents through systematic bombardment and deprivation.
In a detailed statement, the rights group said Israel has intensified its attacks on civilians, homes, and humanitarian infrastructure in Gaza City. This includes the targeted destruction of residential buildings, the disruption of aid operations, and the withholding of essential supplies such as food, medicine, and shelter. The monitor described these actions as part of a “deliberate and systematic mass execution” targeting those who refuse to evacuate.
Evacuation Orders and Aid Disruption
The group raised particular alarm over Israel’s recent evacuation orders targeting seven offices of international and local health and relief organizations operating in Gaza City. These orders, issued Thursday, are seen as a direct attempt to cripple vital humanitarian services and leave civilians without life-saving assistance.
“This step came on a day marked by an intense escalation in bombings and widespread destruction,” the statement read. “Fifteen houses in the Shati refugee camp were flattened within hours, alongside heavy strikes on residential towers in central Gaza City.”
The Euro-Med Monitor emphasized that these actions are not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy. Israeli forces, it said, are seeking to depopulate Gaza City by force—tightening military control, blocking the return of displaced residents, and erasing the city from existence.
Death Toll and Targeting Patterns
The report highlighted that Gaza City now accounts for 70% to 80% of all daily fatalities in the Gaza Strip, indicating the disproportionate focus of Israeli military operations on this area.
Furthermore, the destruction of humanitarian infrastructure during a period of intense military operations has exacerbated what the Monitor calls “an unfolding humanitarian apocalypse.” With aid workers forced to leave and resources dwindling, those remaining in Gaza City face death not only from bombs but also from hunger, dehydration, and lack of medical care.
Intentional Targeting and War Crimes
According to the Monitor, these operations constitute clear violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. The organization also accused Israel of pursuing demographic engineering by attempting to alter the population makeup of Gaza through forced displacement.
“These policies reflect stated intentions by Israeli leaders to change Gaza’s reality—violently displacing its people and eliminating their ability to return,” the statement said.
Starvation as a Weapon
The group also echoed earlier findings from UN agencies, noting that Gaza is facing a famine-like situation, especially among children. In May alone, over 5,000 children were diagnosed with malnutrition, and at least 66 children reportedly died from hunger-related causes. The monitor argued that denying humanitarian access and supplies to Gaza is equivalent to using starvation as a weapon of war—a practice explicitly outlawed by international law.
Urgent Call for Action
In its conclusion, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor called on the international community to immediately halt what it described as genocide in Gaza. It demanded that states fulfill their legal and moral obligations by protecting Palestinian civilians, preventing further atrocities, and holding Israel accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“The forced displacement, starvation, and systematic targeting of civilians amount to one of the gravest crimes of our time,” the statement concluded. “This is not just an attack on Gaza City—it is an attack on international law, human decency, and humanity itself.”
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