GazaHerald – The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor warned Friday that the Israeli occupation army is implementing a scorched-earth policy in Gaza City, deliberately targeting civilians, homes, and humanitarian facilities to force the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents and displaced persons.
In a statement, the group said Israel has escalated its campaign of mass killings and widespread destruction, including the bombing of the city’s remaining residential buildings, the disruption of humanitarian operations, and the deprivation of civilians of food, medicine, and shelter. It described the situation as a “deliberate and systematic mass execution” of those refusing forced displacement.
The monitor reported with grave concern that Israeli forces on Thursday issued illegal evacuation orders against seven headquarters of international and local health and relief organizations operating in Gaza City. It said the move reflects Israel’s intent to paralyze life-saving medical and humanitarian work, compounding the suffering of residents who have endured relentless bombardment for more than a month.
“This step came on a day that witnessed a widespread escalation in the bombing and destruction of homes,” the statement noted. Israeli warplanes demolished 15 houses in the Shati refugee camp in just a few hours, alongside a concentrated campaign targeting multi-story towers in central Gaza City.
According to the monitor, between 70% and 80% of the daily death toll in the Gaza Strip now comes from Gaza City, underscoring the intensity of the attacks.
The Euro-Med Monitor stressed that Israel’s orders and mass destruction cannot be separated from its broader strategy: tightening military control, emptying Gaza City of its inhabitants, and preventing displaced residents from returning. It pointed to the displacement order of September 9 as part of a larger plan to erase Gaza City from existence.
The group emphasized that these policies amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, violating international law’s clear prohibition on targeting civilians and civilian property. It said Israel’s actions reflect its leaders’ openly stated goals to alter Gaza’s demographic reality through forced displacement.
The monitor warned that forcing humanitarian organizations to evacuate Gaza City would leave hundreds of thousands of civilians—those who refuse to flee or cannot leave due to lack of transport or shelter—without even the most basic services. Combined with escalating killings and starvation, it said, this amounts to a mass execution.
The statement concluded by urging all states to immediately assume their legal responsibilities to halt the genocide in Gaza, protect Palestinian civilians, and hold Israel accountable for grave violations of international law and the rulings of the International Court of Justice.
