Towards Urgent International Accountability for Systematic Crimes Extending from Gaza to the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Detention

Date: March 24, 2025

Press Release

Towards Urgent International Accountability for Systematic Crimes Extending from Gaza to the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Detention

The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (ICSPR) is following with deep concern the ongoing Israeli escalation across the occupied Palestinian territory, which reflects a dangerous transformation within a comprehensive policy aimed at undermining the foundations of civilian life for the Palestinian people. This includes mass killings, targeting of civilians, systematic starvation, denial of medical treatment, organized destruction of infrastructure, and blockade, alongside an unprecedented escalation in violations against prisoners and detainees.

In the Gaza Strip, aerial, ground, and naval attacks on densely populated areas continue, resulting in large numbers of casualties. Data indicates that 687 Palestinians have been killed and 1,845 injured since the ceasefire on October 11, in addition to 756 bodies retrieved from under the rubble. The cumulative toll has reached 72,263 martyrs and 171,944 injuries, clearly reflecting the scale and persistence of targeting. During the days of Eid al-Fitr alone, 9 people were killed and 30 injured, highlighting the continuation of military operations without regard for humanitarian considerations.

The situation goes beyond direct killings, extending to systematic policies of deprivation of healthcare. Between 6 to 10 patients die daily due to being denied permission to travel abroad for treatment, amid the continued closure of crossings, particularly the Rafah crossing, suspension of the European monitoring mission, and the halt of medical evacuations. This constitutes a grave violation of the rights to life and health.

Gaza also faces the risk of a total collapse in food and water systems. Relevant authorities warn of an imminent shutdown of bakeries and food production facilities due to the prevention of essential supplies such as oils and spare parts. Meanwhile, the water crisis is worsening, compounded by the approach of a weather depression threatening hundreds of thousands of displaced persons living in harsh conditions in tents and damaged buildings.

In the West Bank, settler attacks continue, including the burning of Palestinian property, most recently northwest of Nablus. Israeli forces and settler militias persist in their violations across the territory as part of a systematic policy aimed at consolidating settlement expansion, annexation, forced displacement, and the imposition of colonial realities by force.

In Jerusalem, the continued closure for more than three weeks and the prevention of religious practices constitute a serious violation of freedom of worship and an assault on the historical and legal status quo. This reflects a dangerous trend toward imposing religious changes by force, amid escalating incitement by Israeli officials and religious leaders.

In this context, ICSPR welcomes the findings of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, which serves as an important legal and moral reference. The report concludes that Israeli violations are no longer isolated incidents but amount to a “state doctrine” based on systematic humiliation and control. It documents the arrest of more than 18,500 Palestinians since October 2023, including around 1,500 children, nearly 100 deaths in detention, and thousands held without charges or trials under conditions amounting to enforced disappearance.

ICSPR affirms that these findings, alongside field data, indicate a pattern of organized crimes that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide under international humanitarian law and human rights standards, particularly the Genocide Convention. The widespread and systematic nature of these violations reflects a coercive environment aimed at subjugating the Palestinian people and breaking their collective will, necessitating urgent international action beyond mere statements of condemnation.

The continued international silence and inaction represent a serious failure to uphold international law and undermine the global justice system. What is happening in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, is no longer merely a humanitarian crisis but a real test of the international community’s commitment to justice and human dignity.

Accordingly, the International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights (ICSPR) calls on the international community to:

• Take immediate action to stop Israeli crimes and end the aggression on Gaza, and to open all crossings, especially Rafah, permanently to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid and enable patients and the wounded to travel for urgent treatment, as well as ensure the return of those stranded.
• Provide immediate and effective international protection for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, including the deployment of international protection missions or forces under UN auspices.
• Activate accountability mechanisms before international courts, particularly the International Criminal Court, and ensure that perpetrators of crimes do not enjoy impunity.
• Impose international sanctions on Israel and activate boycott measures, including banning the supply of weapons used in violations against civilians.
• Ensure the protection of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, end torture, ill-treatment, and medical neglect in detention, release children, women, and administrative detainees, and exert pressure to halt the death penalty law against Palestinian prisoners.
• Protect holy sites, foremost among them Al-Aqsa Mosque, and halt all measures aimed at altering its historical and legal status quo.