ICSPR: No Safe Place in Gaza and Insufficient Aid Amid Israel’s Ongoing Genocidal War

Date: 5 Jan 2025

Press Release

ICSPR: No Safe Place in Gaza and Insufficient Aid Amid Israel’s Ongoing Genocidal War

For the 456th consecutive day of the genocidal war, Israeli occupation forces have escalated their military aggression and acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Since the beginning of this year, they have committed 41 massacres against civilians, bringing the total number of massacres during the genocide to 9,950 against Palestinian civilians and families. Additionally, the genocidal generals’ plan continues to be implemented in northern Gaza through the ongoing destruction and demolition of residential neighborhoods and infrastructure, targeting various areas across the sector, particularly border areas, to continue the geographic transformation of the sector. Israeli forces have destroyed 86% of homes, shelters, displaced persons’ tents, and civil infrastructure, including entire regions, cities, and camps. Forced displacement and evacuation orders continue to be issued in several areas in northern Gaza, Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, and al-Bureij camp, resulting in the displacement of thousands under catastrophic conditions.

In the past five days alone, the occupation forces’ targeting of civilians has resulted in 370 martyrs, approximately 60% of whom are children and women, including doctors, journalists, and civil police officers. This raises the total death toll since the aggression began to 45,717 civilians, with over 15,000 missing under the rubble and 108,856 injured. The ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing for the 15th consecutive month have led to the deaths of thousands of citizens due to illness and famine. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has indicated a 6% decline in population growth, confirming Israel’s intent to annihilate or decimate part of the sector’s population and alter Gaza’s demographic and geographic identity.

ICSPR reports that Israeli occupation forces continue to target and raid hospitals. On Friday, January 3, 2025, Israeli forces evacuated and destroyed the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, detaining four patients among ten who were being transferred. The siege of Al-Awda Hospital in Tal al-Zaatar continues, with demolition operations around it and the burning of nearby schools and homes. There are fears that Al-Awda Hospital could face the same fate as Kamal Adwan Hospital, which was targeted days ago. It should be noted that northern Gaza once had three hospitals (Kamal Adwan, the Indonesian Hospital, and Beit Hanoun Hospital), all of which have now been rendered inoperative, further emptying northern Gaza of its remaining population.

ICSPR highlights Israel’s continued targeted killings of journalists in a deliberate effort to eliminate witnesses and obscure the truth. In the past two days, three journalists were killed: Hassan Saeed Al-Qishaoui, Omar Al-Deirawi, and Arij Shahin. On Thursday, January 2, 2025, at approximately 11:00 AM, an Israeli drone fired a missile at journalist Hassan Saeed Helmi Al-Qishaoui, 29, as he left his home at Palestine Square intersection in western Gaza City, killing him along with a passerby and injuring others. On Friday, January 3, 2025, photojournalist Omar Al-Deirawi, 22, was killed in a strike on his family home in Al-Zawaida, central Gaza, resulting in the deaths of four others. That same morning, journalist Arij Shahin was killed in an airstrike on her home in Al-Nuseirat, killing her and her mother. This raises the total number of journalists killed by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, to 203, including 21 female journalists. This systematic and deliberate targeting forms part of the genocide.

ICSPR further reports the occupation’s persistent targeting of aid security personnel. On Thursday afternoon, an airstrike targeted aid security personnel in central Gaza, resulting in eight martyrs, bringing the total to 736. This is not the first time aid personnel have been targeted, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reinforcing starvation tactics used against civilians.

The suffering of the wounded and sick continues due to the closure of border crossings. Since May 7, 2024, with Israeli forces controlling the Palestinian side of the border, the movement of people to and from Gaza has ceased. This prevents the evacuation of approximately 25,000 wounded and sick individuals in need of medical treatment abroad, with numbers expected to rise as Gaza’s health system collapses.

ICSPR warns that the humanitarian catastrophe deepens daily due to Israel’s continued collective punishment, depriving Gazans of food, water, electricity, fuel, tents, blankets, and winter clothing. Over two million people live in shelters and camps under catastrophic conditions, including 700,000 displaced people living near the coast and at risk of flooding. Of the 135,000 tents originally erected, 110,000 are now unusable, representing 81% of tents. The displaced urgently need winter-proof shelters. Seven infants have died from cold waves and frost due to harsh conditions in displacement camps.

ICSPR strongly condemns the call by eight members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Thursday, January 2, 2025, urging Defense Minister Yisrael Katz to expand the generals’ plan to include Gaza City and the rest of the sector. This is further evidence of Israeli leaders’ intent to deepen acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

ICSPR holds Israel fully responsible for genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and the worsening humanitarian situation, which flagrantly violates international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Rome Statute, and human rights treaties, notably the Genocide Convention.

ICSPR urges the United Nations, Geneva Convention signatories, international and regional organizations, parliamentary unions, human rights groups, and freedom advocates to intensify efforts to pressure for an end to the genocide, impose sanctions on Israel, prosecute its leaders and soldiers internationally, and compel Israel to fulfill its responsibilities as an occupying power.

ICSPR calls on the Palestinian Authority to declare Gaza a disaster area and provide all forms of support to displaced persons, urging the UN to declare Gaza famine-stricken and establish an international humanitarian coalition to protect civilians and ensure urgent aid delivery.

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International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR)