ICSPR: The Israeli Occupation Continues Systematic Violations of the Ceasefire Agreement and Escalates Its Crimes Against Civilians and the Withholding of Bodies Amid an Unprecedented Humanitarian Collapse in Gaza

Date: October 19, 2025

Press Release

ICSPR: The Israeli Occupation Continues Systematic Violations of the Ceasefire Agreement and Escalates Its Crimes Against Civilians and the Withholding of Bodies Amid an Unprecedented Humanitarian Collapse in Gaza

The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the continued serious violations committed by the Israeli occupation authorities against the temporary ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. These violations include targeting civilians, withholding bodies, and preventing the entry of humanitarian aid and essential supplies, in blatant contravention of international humanitarian law and the four Geneva Conventions.

ICSPR affirms that the Israeli occupation has handed over, through the International Committee of the Red Cross, the bodies of 135 Palestinian martyrs in batches, including dozens of unidentified remains. According to the Ministry of Health, medical examinations and forensic reports provided conclusive evidence that many of the victims were subjected to torture and field executions after being detained. Their bodies bore signs of hanging, close-range gunfire, handcuffing, burns, and deep fractures, revealing a systematic brutality that amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

ICSPR warns that the continued withholding of bodies or their return under unclear circumstances without an independent international investigation constitutes a gross violation of the right to human dignity and represents a form of collective punishment intended to conceal evidence of intentional killings and torture, in total disregard for the rules of international humanitarian law.

ICSPR points out that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains catastrophic by all standards. More than two million displaced persons live in deteriorated shelters lacking tents and basic necessities. Over 20,000 unexploded bombs and missiles remain scattered among the rubble, posing a constant threat to civilians, especially children. The occupation continues to restrict the entry of civil defense equipment, medical supplies, and heavy machinery, obstructing rescue efforts and the retrieval of bodies trapped beneath the ruins.

ICSPR condemns the continued closure of the Rafah crossing and the obstruction of humanitarian aid delivery, in clear violation of the ceasefire agreement and as an act of unacceptable humanitarian blackmail. Both UNRWA and the World Food Programme confirmed that the aid entering Gaza amounts to only “a drop in the ocean” compared to the Strip’s massive needs, as Gaza requires around 1,000 trucks daily to meet basic requirements. ICSPR further notes that the occupation prevents the entry of tents, mobile homes, and other essential supplies for the population.

According to UNRWA reports, nearly 90% of agricultural lands in Gaza have been destroyed or rendered inaccessible, depriving thousands of families of their livelihoods and forcing them into total dependence on humanitarian aid. The Strip now faces an imminent famine, in clear violation of Article 54 of the Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits starvation as a method of warfare.

ICSPR documents warnings from international organizations and municipalities of an impending environmental and health catastrophe, due to the destruction of sewage networks and shutdown of pumping stations, causing polluted water to accumulate in streets and shelters. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported that approximately 60 million tons of rubble remain, making reconstruction and road clearance nearly impossible amid the occupation’s continued ban on heavy machinery.

ICSPR affirms that since October 7, 2023, the Israeli aggression has resulted in approximately 68,116 martyrs and 170,200 injured. Since the ceasefire, 27 civilians have been killed and 143 wounded due to the occupation’s ongoing violations. Thousands of bodies remain trapped under the rubble, while civil defense crews are unable to reach them due to equipment shortages and lack of coordination. More than two million people continue to face starvation, drought, and lack of drinking water and medical care, living in tragic conditions within overcrowded shelters lacking adequate tents, food, and clean water, amid a severe humanitarian response gap and the absence of a comprehensive relief plan. Thousands of families remain homeless and without income, as destruction, economic collapse, and record levels of poverty and unemployment continue, necessitating an urgent emergency plan to provide financial and humanitarian support to these families.

ICSPR warns that the continued obstruction of UNRWA’s work and the prevention of its access to wide areas of Gaza constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and an attack on the primary UN agency serving Palestinian refugees. ICSPR calls for immediate facilitation of UNRWA’s full operations without political or military restrictions.

ICSPR reminds that these systematic Israeli policies constitute grave breaches of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which obligates the occupying power to protect civilians, prohibit collective punishment, ensure unhindered access of humanitarian aid, and uphold the dignity of both the living and the dead.

The International Commission (ICSPR) calls on the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and the entire international community to urgently investigate the crimes of torture, field executions, and body withholding, as well as other acts of genocide, to ensure accountability of Israeli leaders and their accomplices, and to lift the blockade on Gaza while allowing the immediate entry of humanitarian and medical rescue teams without conditions.

ICSPR concludes its statement by affirming that the continued international silence amounts to complicity with the occupation and fuels impunity. It calls on the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, as well as the international human rights and civil society community, to take urgent action to protect civilians in Gaza, end the ongoing genocide, and guarantee justice and human dignity for the victims and their families.

Finally, ICSPR urges that rescuing the surviving population of Gaza from the genocide must be placed at the heart of humanitarian response and recovery efforts, ensuring their active participation in shaping a safe, just, and humane future for the Gaza Strip.