On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day ICSPR Calls for an end to Israeli occupation crimes against humanitarian workers and demands protection for humanitarian organizations to ensure they can carry out their work

Date: August 19, 2025

Press Release

On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day

ICSPR: Calls for an end to Israeli occupation crimes against humanitarian workers and demands protection for humanitarian organizations to ensure they can carry out their work

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) states that today, Tuesday, August 19, marks World Humanitarian Day, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, as a tribute and show of solidarity with humanitarian and relief workers worldwide who provide aid in areas of war and armed conflict.

This year’s commemoration comes amid the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, which has persisted for nearly two years, along with a comprehensive blockade lasting more than 18 years. This has led to the destruction of infrastructure, the collapse of the healthcare system, acute shortages of food and drinking water, and catastrophic humanitarian and living conditions for more than 2.3 million Palestinians.

Amid this genocide and ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza, the Commission has documented deliberate and systematic targeting of humanitarian workers by Israeli occupation forces, in flagrant violation of the protections guaranteed to them under international law.

Israeli occupation crimes have resulted in the killing of more than 3,000 humanitarian workers, including:

• 1,560 medical personnel.

• 137 Palestinian Civil Defense members.

• 520 staff of relief and humanitarian organizations, including 380 UNRWA employees.

• 53 staff and volunteers of the Palestinian Red Crescent.

• 4 International Committee of the Red Cross staff, 107 workers from other humanitarian organizations, and 84 municipal workers.

• 785 humanitarian aid providers.

More than 4,000 humanitarian workers have also been injured, and at least 106 have been arrested while carrying out their relief duties.

The occupation has also committed mass killings against civilians attempting to access humanitarian aid. As of August 18, 2025, Israeli forces and American mercenaries had killed about 1,965 Palestinians and injured 14,701 others while they sought food distribution points. These points, controlled by the so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” established with U.S. support, were militarized and turned into tools for killing, starving civilians, managing famine, and engineering forced displacement. This constitutes a blatant violation of fundamental humanitarian principles—neutrality, impartiality, and independence—enshrined in UN Resolutions 46/182 and 58/114, as well as violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 1502 (2003) on the protection of humanitarian workers.

Additionally, the occupation has systematically destroyed 38 hospitals and 7 municipal headquarters, caused severe damage to 70% of humanitarian and service equipment and vehicles, and destroyed 90% of institutional buildings and road networks (2.83 million linear meters), making the delivery of humanitarian services nearly impossible.

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) affirms that Israeli crimes against humanitarian workers constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and Security Council resolutions—especially Resolution 1502 (2003), which condemns all forms of violence against humanitarian personnel, as well as the UN General Assembly resolution on the safety and security of humanitarian aid workers (December 13, 2012).

While strongly condemning Israel’s deliberate targeting of humanitarian workers and its broader crimes aimed at obstructing humanitarian organizations, the Commission considers these actions to be war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICSPR calls on the international community to:

• Take immediate action to stop the genocide.

• Open the border crossings to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and essential supplies without restrictions.

• Provide protection for humanitarian workers, medical teams, and relief staff.

• Activate accountability mechanisms to prosecute Israeli leaders and officials before international courts for their crimes against humanitarian workers and for obstructing aid delivery, ensuring perpetrators do not escape punishment.

The Commission also reiterates its call to peoples and civil society organizations worldwide to strengthen solidarity and provide concrete support for humanitarian workers in Gaza.

End