Israel Announces the Expansion of Its Military Offensive, Commits Massacres Against Civilians, Destroys the Health Sector, Threatens Humanitarian Operations, and Uses Starvation as a Weapon—Endangering the Lives of Gaza’s Residents and Raising Alarming, Irreversible Risks

Date: May 18, 2025

Urgent Statement and Appeal

Israel Announces the Expansion of Its Military Offensive, Commits Massacres Against Civilians, Destroys the Health Sector, Threatens Humanitarian Operations, and Uses Starvation as a Weapon—Endangering the Lives of Gaza’s Residents and Raising Alarming, Irreversible Risks

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) is following with deep concern and utmost condemnation the Israeli occupation’s continued perpetration of the crime of genocide, and the expansion of its aerial and ground assault on the Gaza Strip. These actions include massacres against civilians under what is known as the “Gideon’s Chariots” operation, which clearly reveals the Israeli state’s intent to continue its war and aggression to maintain Netanyahu’s power, preserve the cohesion of the fascist terrorist right-wing coalition, and pursue its objectives of eliminating the Palestinian cause, annexing the West Bank, Judaizing Jerusalem, and occupying and displacing the population of the Gaza Strip.

These crimes have led, within the past 48 hours, to the killing of more than 300 people, including 200 martyrs in the northern Gaza governorate, and approximately 560 others injured—many critically.

Since dawn today, and according to the Ministry of Health, Gaza hospitals have received 96 martyrs—including five journalists—and more than 190 injured as a result of the brutal Israeli airstrikes on residential neighborhoods and overcrowded displacement camps. In addition, 140 martyrs remain under the rubble or in the streets, with rescue operations obstructed due to the Israeli army’s deliberate prevention of civil defense and ambulance teams from reaching them, and the targeting of anything that moves with gunfire.

In a serious development, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced today, Sunday, May 18, 2025, that all public hospitals in the northern Gaza governorate are now out of service due to intensified bombing near and inside hospital premises. Furthermore, the evacuation of the wounded, patients, medical teams, and medical supplies has been blocked, resulting in the collapse of health services. Israeli forces continue to deny evacuation of patients and staff from Al-Awda and the Indonesian hospitals.

According to ICSPR, the crimes committed yesterday and today have raised the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to more than 53,339 martyrs and 121,034 injured, the majority of whom are women and children. In addition, over 14,000 individuals are missing, and 88% of homes, buildings, service facilities, economic structures, and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed. It is worth noting that 3,193 people have been martyred and 8,993 injured since the Israeli occupation resumed its offensive on March 18, following the ceasefire agreement.

As part of its plans to reoccupy Gaza, block humanitarian aid, and ban the operations of international organizations, the Israeli occupation continues to issue forced displacement orders. These are accompanied by intense and horrific artillery shelling and airstrikes, which have killed and destroyed homes in an effort to forcibly displace 300,000 citizens once again—this time toward the already devastated city of Gaza. The city lacks tents, shelters, and any infrastructure to accommodate such large numbers of forcibly displaced persons, forcing families to live in streets and open areas under a compounded humanitarian catastrophe.

This comes amid the continued blockade on humanitarian aid for the 78th consecutive day, plunging the population into dangerous levels of food insecurity and a catastrophic famine, now classified as Level 5. This level threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of the wounded, elderly, children, and pregnant women.

ICSPR affirms that the continued deliberate targeting and killing of journalists and their families proves the Israeli occupation’s intent to suppress media coverage and terrorize journalists, aiming to stop the exposure of its genocide—committed in full view of the world. Continuing this pattern, Israeli airstrikes today killed five journalists:

•Abdul Rahman Al-Abadleh

•Noor Qandil

•Khaled Abu Seif

•Aziz Al-Hajjar

•Ahmed Al-Zainati

With their deaths, the number of journalists killed since October 7, 2023, has risen to 222 journalists, including 15 female journalists, in addition to the killing of dozens of social media activists.

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) reiterates its condemnation of the occupying state’s announcement of the expansion of its brutal and criminal aggression, the massacres committed against civilians, the bombing of civilian homes and tents, extrajudicial killings, and the forced displacement of Gaza residents. These deliberate and pre-planned crimes are intended to deepen the humanitarian crisis in the Strip.

While ICSPR holds Israel and the United States fully responsible for the international crimes and grave violations being perpetrated in Gaza, it also warns of the consequences of the international community’s continued failure to stop the genocide, which allows the occupation to further expand its military assault, commit massacres, kill more civilians, destroy homes, shelters, hospitals, and essential facilities, and prolong famine and catastrophic suffering. These consequences threaten the lives of thousands of citizens with annihilation and death.

ICSPR calls on the international community, the United Nations, international and regional organizations, third-party states, and all people of conscience around the world to:

•Urgently act to stop the genocide and the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

•Open all crossings to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, medical supplies, and fuel.

•Provide protection for civilians before it is too late.

•Mobilize all forms of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

•Activate all political, diplomatic, legal, and popular actions, individually and collectively, to:

•Impose sanctions on the Israeli occupation state.

•Halt all arms exports to Israel.

•Expedite accountability and prosecution of Israeli leaders, soldiers, and their accomplices in international courts.