Children Beheaded as a Result of Targeting the UNRWA Clinic in Jabalia Camp

Reference No.: 36/2025
Date: April 2, 2025

Press Release and Urgent Appeal

Children Beheaded as a Result of Targeting the UNRWA Clinic in Jabalia Camp – Famine Becomes a Reality in Gaza While Occupation Forces Expand Ground Attacks and Forced Displacement

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) strongly condemns and denounces the heinous crime of targeting the UNRWA clinic building in Jabalia Camp by Israeli warplanes with two missiles, resulting in a horrific massacre that claimed the lives of 25 martyrs, most of whom were children, and left dozens of civilians injured. The clinic was being used as a shelter for forcibly displaced persons. Eyewitnesses confirmed that some of the bodies retrieved were of children whose heads had been severed, in addition to numerous charred bodies and critical injuries. Citizens were unable to find water to extinguish the fires caused by the bombing.

The ICSPR reports that recent days have witnessed an alarming escalation in indiscriminate and excessive use of heavy bombs, some weighing up to 2 tons, causing massive destruction and shredding civilian bodies. Since the resumption of aggression on March 18, 2025, the number of martyrs has reached 1,200, with 2,359 injured. This brings the total number of martyrs since October 7, 2023, to more than 65,000 martyrs and missing persons, of whom approximately 51,000 bodies have reached hospitals, including more than 30,000 children and women.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces have expanded their forced evacuation orders, affecting the entire Rafah Governorate, three neighborhoods in southern Khan Yunis, and the areas of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and the Beit Lahia project in northern Gaza. These orders have forced approximately 300,000 citizens to flee, coinciding with intensified aerial bombardments targeting homes, shelters, and tent camps. Hundreds of families remain trapped in targeted areas, facing the imminent threat of death. Those who managed to flee—whether on foot or by any available means—are struggling due to the lack of adequate shelter, tents, and basic services.

Since the resumption of the genocide, Israeli warplanes have bombed more than 60 community kitchens and food distribution centers, rendering them inoperative. Yesterday, bakeries announced their closure due to the depletion of flour and fuel, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and leading to widespread famine among civilians. More than 2 million people in Gaza are unable to secure the most basic necessities—food, water, and medicine— as the blockade continues for the 31st consecutive day. This situation threatens the total collapse of humanitarian and health services due to the ongoing restriction of food supplies, medical aid, and fuel necessary for operating water wells, hospitals, and essential infrastructure.

The ICSPR further asserts that Israel’s deliberate targeting of journalists and their families aims to eliminate witnesses to the genocide being carried out in full view of the world. The most recent incident occurred at approximately 1:15 AM on April 1, 2025, when an Israeli aircraft targeted the home of journalist Mohammed Saleh Mohammed Al-Bardawil, 35, a radio broadcaster at Al-Aqsa Radio. He, his wife Islam Ali Hassan Al-Bardawil (29), and their three children—Saleh (3), Iman (10), and Lama (8)—were all killed.

This brings the total number of journalists killed since October 7, 2023, to 209—the highest number of journalist fatalities ever recorded globally since tracking began in 1992. Among them, 13 were female journalists. Additionally, 185 journalists have been injured during the aggression. The deliberate targeting of journalists is an attempt to silence the truth and conceal Israeli crimes against civilians.

The ICSPR reiterates that the ongoing blockade and closure of crossings—now lasting 31 consecutive days—has completely prevented the entry of humanitarian aid, goods, medicines, and fuel. This has forced bakeries and community kitchens to shut down, worsening the famine crisis and pushing Gaza’s residents into a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. The Israeli occupation is weaponizing starvation and exhaustion against civilians, alongside relentless bombardment, systematic destruction, and forced displacement.

These actions align with the openly declared plans of Israeli war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated two days ago that intensifying military pressure on Gaza is intended to entrench Israeli control and security dominance over the Strip, ultimately implementing Trump’s displacement plan for Palestinians. This clearly reveals Israel’s intention to continue committing genocide by rendering Gaza uninhabitable and forcing its residents to flee.

The ICSPR holds Israel and the United States fully responsible for these ongoing brutal crimes against innocent civilians in Gaza, which constitute flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, UN resolutions, and the measures of the International Court of Justice. These acts expose a systematic policy aimed at exterminating, displacing, and obliterating the Palestinian people and Gaza. The indiscriminate bombing of hospitals, homes, schools, tents, and shelters amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Furthermore, the suffocating blockade is a form of collective punishment, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis by preventing the entry of essential aid.

The ICSPR condemns the deafening silence of the international community, which amounts to a green light for Israel to continue its genocide. This silence reflects complicity and failure, reinforcing a lawless world where international humanitarian institutions have utterly failed to fulfill their duty to intervene and uphold international law.

The ICSPR urgently calls upon nations, peoples, and international organizations to fulfill their moral and legal obligations by taking immediate action to halt Israel’s aggression and genocide. We demand:

• The immediate opening of humanitarian corridors to allow the entry of aid, medical supplies, fuel, and all essential needs for Gaza’s residents.

• The imposition of sanctions on Israel and the reassessment of relations with the United States.

• The prosecution of those responsible for genocide in international courts.

End.