ICSPR Holds Press Conference on Israeli Occupation Crimes and the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza with the Approach of Ramadan
Date: 6 Mar 2025
Press Release
ICSPR Holds Press Conference on Israeli Occupation Crimes and the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza with the Approach of Ramadan
The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) held a press conference today in Al-Saraya Square in Gaza City, addressing the overall crimes of the Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
The conference was attended by members of the ICSPR Board of Directors and its team in Gaza. Attorney Rana Hdeib, Director of the Legal Department at ICSPR, delivered the press statement, which included the following:
ICSPR: Palestinians in Gaza Welcome Ramadan Amid an Unprecedented Humanitarian Catastrophe
Palestinians in Gaza enter the holy month of Ramadan under an unprecedented humanitarian disaster caused by 16 months of ongoing genocide, which has turned the Strip into a devastated zone, leaving widespread destruction and catastrophic living conditions.
The majority of Gaza’s population remains displaced, living in the open or in torn tents, facing severe shortages of essential needs, including food, clean water, and medical services, as the blockade persists and humanitarian aid remains restricted. Additionally, the destruction of hundreds of mosques has deprived residents of their ability to practice religious rituals freely, forcing them to pray among the ruins or in open spaces.
ICSPR: Over Two Million Palestinians Suffer from Severe Food Shortages
More than two million Palestinians face extreme food shortages, with hunger levels worsening and prices soaring beyond the reach of families who have lost their sources of income. The ongoing fuel and gas shortages make preparing meals for Iftar and Suhoor a daily struggle for most residents.
ICSPR Condemns Ongoing Ceasefire Violations by Israeli Forces
Despite the ceasefire agreement that took effect on January 19, Israeli forces have repeatedly violated it, carrying out shootings and airstrikes across Gaza, particularly near their military positions. These attacks have resulted in 118 civilian deaths, nearly 500 injuries, and the destruction of many homes.
Moreover, humanitarian aid entry remains severely obstructed. Out of 60,000 agreed-upon mobile homes (caravans) meant to shelter the displaced, only 16 have been allowed in. Additionally, only half the needed tents have entered, leaving thousands of families exposed to harsh living conditions after the occupation forces destroyed over 80% of Gaza’s buildings, displacing more than two million Palestinians.
ICSPR: Widespread Destruction and Limited Reconstruction Efforts
Large parts of Gaza remain in ruins, requiring extensive rubble removal and recovery operations. However, Israel has only permitted the entry of nine heavy machinery units, while at least 500 are needed to facilitate search, rescue, and debris clearance efforts.
ICSPR: Israel Maintains Financial Restrictions, Worsening Gaza’s Economic Crisis
Throughout the war, Israel has imposed strict restrictions on cash flow into Gaza, causing a severe liquidity crisis in local banks and worsening the economic hardship for residents. It also refuses to replace damaged banknotes, further exacerbating the financial difficulties people face in meeting their daily needs.
ICSPR: Israel Uses Humanitarian Aid as a Weapon of Starvation and Extortion
ICSPR strongly condemns the Israeli occupation’s deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid entry, using it as a tool for blackmail and starvation, which constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity under international humanitarian and criminal law.
ICSPR: Systematic Violations Against Palestinian Prisoners
ICSPR denounces the grave violations against Palestinian prisoners, including torture, medical neglect, and enforced disappearances of detainees from Gaza. The commission has documented the deaths of 60 prisoners, most of them from Gaza, inside Israeli prisons. Prisoner exchange processes have revealed stark differences in health conditions between Palestinian and Israeli detainees, exposing systematic psychological and physical torture, medical neglect, severe weight loss, and violent assaults before their release—amounting to a full-fledged war crime.
ICSPR: Escalating Violations in the West Bank and Jerusalem During Ramadan
Israeli authorities have imposed severe restrictions on Palestinian access to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan while settlers continue storming the mosque’s courtyards and performing Talmudic rituals inside. At the same time, Israeli forces have escalated their raids on refugee camps in the northern West Bank, killing nearly 70 people, wounding dozens, and displacing around 50,000 residents. The expansion of illegal settlements, land confiscation, home demolitions, and movement restrictions between Palestinian cities are part of Israel’s systematic policy to annex the West Bank and Judaize Jerusalem.
ICSPR Condemns the Targeting of UNRWA and Defunding Efforts
ICSPR condemns Israel’s systematic campaign against UNRWA, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. This includes escalating efforts to cut funding by donor countries such as the U.S., Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as the Netherlands reducing its financial support. Talks of transferring UNRWA’s responsibilities to the so-called “Palestinian state” threaten the political future of more than six million registered Palestinian refugees.
ICSPR Supports Egypt’s Reconstruction Efforts and Calls for International Backing
ICSPR welcomes Egypt’s reconstruction plan for Gaza and urges international support to ensure its success, safeguard Palestinian rights, and prevent further displacement. The commission also calls on the international community to support Egyptian and Arab efforts to sustain the ceasefire, rebuild Gaza, and protect Palestinian civilians.
ICSPR Calls for Urgent International Action to Address the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
ICSPR emphasizes that the catastrophic humanitarian suffering in Gaza, caused by Israel’s aggression and extremist policies, violates all principles of international law. The continued suffering of over two million Palestinians demands immediate international intervention to prevent famine, disease, and further displacement while ensuring their right to a dignified life under international humanitarian law.
ICSPR Demands the Following:
- Immediate Humanitarian Access: ICSPR calls on mediators, the international community, and humanitarian organizations to pressure Israel into allowing unrestricted humanitarian aid entry, reopening crossings for essential supplies, and ending its starvation tactics.
- Market Regulation: ICSPR urges Gaza’s authorities to enforce strict market regulations, prevent price manipulation and monopolization, and take legal action against violators. It calls on traders and suppliers to act responsibly and uphold fair pricing to support rather than exploit Palestinian resilience.
- Accountability for Israeli Crimes: The international community must take concrete steps to hold Israel accountable for its crimes and violations, end collective punishment, and enforce compliance with international law and human rights standards.
- Urgent Relief Measures: The United Nations and humanitarian organizations must immediately provide essential aid, including food, shelter, and healthcare, to prevent large-scale famine and alleviate the suffering of genocide victims in Gaza.
- Arab and Islamic Solidarity: ICSPR urges Arab and Muslim nations, as well as people of conscience worldwide, to use Ramadan as an opportunity to intensify material and humanitarian support for Gaza through relief projects that aid displaced families, the sick, and the wounded.
- Protection of Palestinian Prisoners: ICSPR calls for intensified efforts to monitor and advocate for Palestinian prisoners’ rights, ensuring their protection under international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
- Support for Reconstruction and Ceasefire Efforts: ICSPR calls on the international community to support Egyptian and Arab initiatives aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire, rebuilding Gaza, and protecting Palestinian civilians.
- Political and Legal Measures Against Israel: The international community must intensify efforts to end Israel’s occupation, establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, ensure the right of return for refugees, impose sanctions on Israel, and prosecute its leaders for war crimes.
The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR)
