The international human rights organization "Human Rights Watch" today released a report stating that Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including mass forcible displacements that amount to ethnic cleansing, the Associated Press reported.
The new report by the New York-based organization says people have been shot while evacuating on Israeli orders, as well as in Israeli-designated humanitarian zones where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltered in crowded tent camps.
p>
"Human Rights Watch" writes, the deliberate destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure is a widespread practice by Israeli forces in Gaza. Some of these actions are related to the construction of a new road through the besieged territory, as well as the creation of a buffer zone along the border with Israel. All this is probably done with the intention of many Palestinians being "displaced permanently".
"These actions of the Israeli authorities amount to ethnic cleansing,", the report of the human rights organization also reads.
The Israeli army has not yet commented on the findings of "Human Rights Watch".
Since the start of the Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian enclave on October 7 last year, more than 43,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who do not keep separate statistics for the dead fighters and civilians.
About 90% of Gazans have fled their homes, with many displaced multiple times. The Israeli offensive has damaged or completely destroyed two-thirds of homes and other buildings in Gaza, according to UN estimates.
Israel says it does not target civilians and accuses the Palestinian group "Hamas" for the deaths of peaceful enclave residents. According to Israel, the militants are hiding among civilians and operating in residential areas.
The war between Israel and "Hamas" began after Palestinian militants invaded Israel on October 7, 2023. Then they killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped about 250 people.
Fifteen aid trucks were allowed into northern Gaza yesterday after international organizations warned that the month-long Israeli offensive in the area could lead to mass starvation. The trucks were loaded with humanitarian aid from the United Arab Emirates, the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (a body under Israel's Ministry of Defense) said. According to the Israeli service, the aid included food, water, hygiene materials, medicines, etc.
The UN did not immediately confirm the information about the humanitarian delivery, AP notes.
In the past month, Israeli forces have surrounded the northernmost areas of the Gaza Strip, claiming that Hamas fighters have regrouped there. According to experts, the Israeli military campaign has caused a new wave of displaced civilians and famine is imminent or may have already occurred.