Israel committing crimes against humanity in Gaza, HRW says

Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of pursuing “deliberate and massive forced displacement” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza through its evacuation orders, saying the policy amounts to crimes against humanity in a report published Thursday.

The U.S.-based rights group said it had gathered evidence suggesting “the war crime of forcible transfer”, which it described as a violation of the Geneva conventions and the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court.

The report comes as Israel intensifies efforts to divide the Gaza Strip with a buffer zone, with residents reporting Israeli forces directing remaining civilians in northern Gaza southward through checkpoints.

More than 90% of Gaza’s population – approximately 1.9 million Palestinians – have been displaced over the past 13 months, with many forced to move multiple times, the report found.

HRW researcher Nadia Hardman said: “The Israeli government cannot claim to be keeping Palestinians safe when it kills them along escape routes, bombs so-called safe zones, and cuts off food, water, and sanitation”.

The report contradicts a recent U.S. State Department assessment that found Israel had not breached American laws regarding aid supply blockages.

According to the Geneva conventions, civilian displacement in occupied territory must occur only in exceptional circumstances for “imperative military reasons” or population security, requiring proper accommodation for displaced civilians.

Israeli officials maintain the evacuation orders demonstrate their commitment to protecting civilians, arguing they are necessary to target Palestinian armed groups while limiting civilian casualties.

The Israeli military has denied claims it intends to establish permanent buffer zones or allow settler returns to Gaza, though some government hardliners have publicly supported resettlement.

Israel has killed at least 43,000 Palestinians, with 102,000 wounded, since the October 7 attack by Hamas. It has also killed around 3,000 in Lebanon and Syria, while around 3 million people have been displaced from their homes as a result of the war.

Experts, governments, United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organisations have accused Israel of carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people.