ICSPR Issues a Comprehensive Briefing on Israeli Crimes in Palestine During January 2025 and the Impact of Genocide on Women After a Year and a Half
Date:18 Feb 2025
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ICSPR Issues a Comprehensive Briefing on Israeli Crimes in Palestine During January 2025 and the Impact of Genocide on Women After a Year and a Half
As part of its role in documenting Israeli crimes and addressing the international community regarding ongoing violations against Palestinians, ICSPR has issued three briefing memoranda addressed to relevant international bodies. These reports provide detailed accounts of the increasing settlement expansion in the West Bank, crimes against journalists, and the severe violations against women in Gaza after a year and a half of genocide.
Escalation of Israeli Crimes in the West Bank: Systematic Settlement Expansion and Gross Violations
ICSPR has sent a memorandum to the UN Secretary-General, members of the UN Security Council, the President of the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Envoy, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Chair of the Fact-Finding Committee, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the European Union, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to inform them of the crimes and grave violations committed by Israeli occupation forces and settlers during January 2025.
According to documentation by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority, Israeli occupation forces and settlers committed 2,161 attacks during the month, including 375 settler attacks, concentrated in Hebron (358 attacks), Ramallah (342), and Nablus (328). These violations included armed assaults, destruction of Palestinian land and property, and land confiscation.
Israeli authorities also carried out 76 demolition operations, targeting 126 structures, including 74 inhabited homes, and issued 131 demolition orders, mainly in Hebron, Bethlehem, and Ramallah. In addition, Israeli authorities expanded settlements by establishing 10 new settler outposts and seizing 262 dunams of Palestinian land. They also approved the “Rose Marine” settlement project, aimed at expanding the “Beitar Illit” settlement and connecting it to other settlement projects through road and rail networks, further isolating Palestinian areas.
The Israeli government also passed a new law allowing settlers to purchase land in the West Bank without international oversight, representing a significant step toward de facto annexation. Additionally, 31 new settlement expansion plans were approved, totaling 943 new settlement units across 9,881 dunams of Palestinian land.
Targeting Journalists: Ongoing Repression and Silencing of Truth
In a memorandum addressed to David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, ICSPR documented 102 violations against press freedoms in January, including 82 violations by Israeli forces and 18 by Palestinian entities.
Key violations included:
- The killing of 8 journalists, continuing Israel’s policy of silencing the truth.
- 9 physical assaults against journalists, including injuries and verbal and physical attacks in Jerusalem, Gaza, and Jenin.
- Arbitrary arrests of two journalists: journalist Abdullah Matan, who was arrested while attempting to travel, and journalist Farah Abu Ayesh, who was later released. Additionally, journalist Osayd Amarna was sentenced to four months in prison by an Israeli military court.
- Media coverage suppression, with 21 cases of media restriction in the West Bank, 22 cases in Gaza, and the destruction of 5 journalists’ homes by direct missile strikes.
On the digital front, Israeli authorities and social media platforms escalated restrictions on Palestinian content, with 350 digital violations and 470 cybersecurity-related cases recorded. Additionally, 100 journalists and Palestinian activists were targeted by Israeli spyware, such as the “Gravity” program.
The Impact of Genocide on Women in Gaza After a Year and a Half
In a memorandum addressed to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, and the General Union of Palestinian Women, ICSPR highlighted the catastrophic humanitarian crisis faced by women in Gaza after 18 months of war.
Reports indicate that 61,709 Palestinians have been killed or reported missing since the beginning of the Israeli assault, with women making up 22% of the total casualties, including 12,316 women. Additionally, 6,000 families have lost their mothers.
Women were subjected to field executions and severe physical violations during displacement, with Israeli forces forcing women to strip under threat of violence. Cases of rape and sexual assault inside Israeli detention centers were also documented.
Hundreds of women have suffered severe injuries, including limb amputations, burns, paralysis, and sensory impairments, with a 300% increase in miscarriage rates due to a lack of medical services. The war led to the shutdown of 34 hospitals and the destruction of 80 healthcare centers, exacerbating the crisis.
Additionally, 46,300 pregnant women are experiencing acute malnutrition, and 557,000 women suffer from severe food insecurity, putting them at risk of life-threatening health complications. The war has also increased early marriages due to economic hardship and caused a rise in divorce and family breakdowns due to extreme psychological and financial pressure.
ICSPR’s Urgent Calls to the International Community
ICSPR has emphasized that these crimes and violations represent flagrant breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law, urging relevant international bodies to take immediate action to halt Israeli settlement expansion, crimes against Palestinians, violations against journalists, and abuses against women in Gaza.
ICSPR calls for:
- An immediate international investigation into genocide crimes,
- Accountability for Israeli leaders before international courts,
- Concrete measures to end Israeli occupation and provide international protection for Palestinians.
