ICSPR Condemns Systematic Israeli Escalation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Composite Crimes Aimed at Subjugating the Population and Undermining Public Order

Date: April 13, 2026

Press Release
ICSPR Condemns Systematic Israeli Escalation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Composite Crimes Aimed at Subjugating the Population and Undermining Public Order

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) strongly condemns the ongoing Israeli escalation across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the Gaza Strip. This escalation reflects a systematic policy based on the commission of interconnected and compound international crimes, including large-scale willful killing, deliberate starvation, widespread destruction of infrastructure, targeting of civilian and security systems, and the dismantling of public order and civil peace. These actions form part of a clear strategy to subjugate the Palestinian people, break their will, and forcibly reshape their reality, in grave violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

ICSPR affirms that what is taking place in the Gaza Strip constitutes a comprehensive model of “engineered starvation” as a tool of war and slow extermination. Israeli authorities continue to impose strict and systematic restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, particularly essential food supplies such as flour, leading to an unprecedented food security crisis, rising bread prices, and the threat of bakery shutdowns. This constitutes the deliberate use of starvation as a weapon against civilians, in violation of Article 54 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, and amounts to a war crime and a crime against humanity within the framework of collective punishment.

ICSPR warns that the continuation of these policies, alongside restrictions on medical supplies and the obstruction of relief efforts, has already resulted in preventable deaths and exacerbated the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. This occurs amid widespread forced displacement and catastrophic living conditions, reflecting a deliberate attempt to induce a comprehensive humanitarian collapse and to use basic civilian needs as a tool of political pressure an egregious violation of human dignity and the rights to life and health.

ICSPR condemns the continued acts of aggression that have reached unprecedented levels in terms of casualties, with the death toll exceeding 72,333, while thousands of victims remain trapped under the rubble. Rescue teams are largely incapacitated due to ongoing bombardment and lack of resources, depriving victims of the right to rescue or even dignified burial. This reflects a grave disregard for Palestinian lives and dignity and further evidences the genocidal nature of these crimes.

ICSPR emphasizes that these figures represent not merely human losses, but a compounded and ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, where mass killings intersect with policies of starvation, siege, widespread destruction, denial of medical care, and obstruction of rescue operations. Collectively, these acts may amount to genocide under the 1948 Convention and demonstrate a systematic pattern targeting the very existence of the Palestinian people.

ICSPR condemns the targeting of civilians and civilian security structures, including the attack on a police checkpoint in Deir al-Balah, which resulted in the killing of three police officers and one civilian and the injury of others. It stresses that targeting civilian police and security points forms part of a calculated policy to dismantle public order and spread chaos and lawlessness, aiming to undermine social cohesion constituting a form of unconventional warfare against Palestinian society.

ICSPR expresses deep concern over the catastrophic conditions in displacement camps, where hundreds of thousands of civilians including children, women, and the elderly live in inhumane conditions marked by the spread of rodents and insects, deteriorating sanitation services, water scarcity, and the absence of basic hygiene. These conditions signal an imminent health and environmental disaster, with a real risk of epidemics and infectious diseases amid overcrowding and the collapse of the healthcare system.

ICSPR affirms that these conditions constitute a grave violation of the rights to life, health, and human dignity, holding the occupying authorities fully legally responsible. It calls for urgent international intervention, including pest control campaigns, provision of sanitation supplies, infrastructure improvement, access to clean water, deployment of specialized medical teams, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.

ICSPR expresses profound shock at violations of human dignity, including torture, sexual crimes, and abuse of Palestinian detainees, affirming that such acts constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes requiring international criminal accountability.

ICSPR condemns the continued incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli extremists, particularly those led by the Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir under the protection of occupation forces. It stresses that these actions violate the historical and legal status quo and aim to impose new realities by force, including attempts at temporal and spatial division, posing a serious threat to international peace and security.

ICSPR firmly rejects all forms of political coercion linked to humanitarian aid or reconstruction. It emphasizes that conditioning basic human rights on political or security demands including the issue of disarming resistance factions constitutes a violation of international law and undermines any prospects for genuine and sustainable stability.

ICSPR notes that the ongoing field escalation marked by bombardment, warplane overflights, and threats of renewed large-scale war coincides with intense political pressure in what is described as “negotiation under fire.” This reflects the use of force to impose political solutions, endangering civilian lives and risking a comprehensive escalation at any moment.

ICSPR welcomes the growing wave of global solidarity with the Palestinian people, including protests, popular movements, and the “Flotilla of Resilience,” affirming that such solidarity reflects the vitality of global conscience. At the same time, it condemns the suppression of peaceful protests in some countries, particularly in Europe, and the arrest of solidarity activists as violations of human rights.

ICSPR continues to monitor international legal efforts to hold Israeli leaders accountable and stresses that ending impunity is essential for achieving justice and preventing further crimes. It warns that continued lack of accountability encourages further violations.

ICSPR warns of the dangers of discriminatory Israeli legislation, particularly the so-called “death penalty for prisoners law,” affirming that such laws constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law and legitimize extrajudicial killing.

ICSPR stresses that the continued marginalization of the Palestinian issue amid regional and international shifts poses a direct threat to regional and global stability, and that ignoring Palestinian rights will only deepen cycles of conflict and instability.

ICSPR renews its call on the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities by taking urgent measures, including an immediate cessation of aggression, lifting the siege, opening crossings, ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid, recovering victims from under the rubble, providing international protection for civilians, and activating international accountability mechanisms.

ICSPR concludes that the ongoing violations against the Palestinian people constitute a continuous and compound crime against humanity. It stresses that continued international silence especially amid the escalating humanitarian and health catastrophe in Gaza and displacement camps no longer represents mere inaction, but rather constitutes effective cover for the continuation of these crimes, necessitating immediate and decisive international action.

End
International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR)