The International Commission “Hashd” The Israeli occupation is carrying out the second phase of genocide with brutality, deliberately committing massacres by bombing shelters and homes filled with displaced people in the Gaza Strip
Date: October 10, 2024
Press Release
The International Commission “Hashd” The Israeli occupation is carrying out the second phase of genocide with brutality, deliberately committing massacres by bombing shelters and homes filled with displaced people in the Gaza Strip
The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (Hashd) strongly condemns the ongoing Israeli occupation forces’ bombing of shelters and inhabited homes, targeting Palestinian families across the Gaza Strip. For the 370th consecutive day, the occupation has been committing massacres against families and forcibly displaced individuals. The latest of these atrocities occurred today, October 10, 2024, when Israeli warplanes bombed the Rafida School for the displaced in Deir al-Balah, which housed thousands of displaced people. The attack caused widespread destruction to the school and led to the death of 26 martyrs and the injury of 90 others, with varying degrees of severity. This brings the total number of targeted shelters to 249, including schools and tent camps. Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes continue to bomb homes and civilian gatherings without prior warning throughout the Gaza Strip, especially in the besieged northern Gaza governorate.
The International Commission “Hashd”: condemns the continuation of Israeli occupation forces’ extrajudicial killings and field executions in the West Bank, the latest of which was the assassination of four young men by Israeli special forces, who opened heavy fire on their vehicle near the eastern market of Nablus. This raises the death toll in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, to 747 martyrs, including 164 children, in addition to 6,250 injured.
The International Commission “Hashd”: further condemns the acts of torture and abuse of prisoners in “Ofer” prison, involving the terrorist minister Ben-Gvir, as reported by Israeli media. These acts are additional evidence of the torture, humiliation, and degrading conditions that prisoners endure in Israeli jails, which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. These practices are severe violations of the Third Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war and the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians, including detainees, as well as all human rights standards.
The International Commission “Hashd”: warns of the continued deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Gaza due to the blockade, collective punishment, the obstruction of humanitarian aid deliveries, and the prevention of international organizations, especially UNRWA, from operating. Malnutrition, homelessness, a lack of safety, a shortage of clean water, the destruction of sewage systems, and the targeting of hospitals—along with recent evacuation orders in northern Gaza—are clear indicators of the humanitarian catastrophe. The population of Gaza is living in the midst of this disaster. The International Committee for the Review of Famine, part of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, confirmed on March 18, 2024, that famine has already occurred in northern Wadi Gaza. The entire population of Gaza (2.23 million people) is expected to face acute food insecurity. The report expressed grave concern over the doubling of the number of individuals facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity (Phase 5 – imminent risk of death), as well as the sharp increase in malnutrition among children aged 6-23 months. The mass displacement, severe overcrowding, and limited access to water, sanitation, and healthcare for the displaced have significantly increased the risk of infectious disease outbreaks and mental health issues. The World Health Organization estimates that 22% of Gaza’s population will suffer from mental health disorders, with 5% facing severe psychological symptoms. Displacement, violence, deprivation, and the loss of loved ones, homes, and livelihoods will exacerbate the mental health crisis.
The International Commission “Hashd”: renews its call to the world’s nations, free people, and international organizations to intervene effectively and fulfill their moral and legal obligations to end the aggression and tragic genocide, stop Israeli occupation crimes in the Palestinian territories, lift the collective punishment and blockade, ensure the flow of medical supplies and humanitarian aid, and guarantee the freedom of operation for international organizations. This intervention is essential to prevent further deterioration of health, psychological, social, and humanitarian conditions in Gaza, as required by the International Court of Justice and United Nations Security Council resolutions, and to uphold international law and prevent the continuation of lawlessness.
