LONDON, (The Palestine Foundation Pakistan)Amnesty International has sounded the alarm over what it describes as a “catastrophic wave of mass displacement in Gaza City,” triggered by Israel’s intensified military offensive since mid-August.
The rights group says hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many already displaced multiple times, have been forced into overcrowded and under-resourced areas in the southern Gaza Strip, where basic necessities are scarce.
According to Amnesty, the Israeli military has employed aggressive tactics to drive civilians out of Gaza City, including mass evacuation orders, targeted demolitions of residential buildings, and intensified aerial bombardments of densely populated areas.
The organization accuses Israel of deliberately creating panic and forcing civilians into unsafe zones lacking adequate shelter, food, water, and medical care.
“As Israel steps up its cataclysmic onslaught, it appears hell-bent on obliterating Gaza City, deliberately driving out its entire population, leveling large swathes of the city, and seizing full control. For nearly two years, Palestinians civilians throughout the Gaza Strip have been bombarded, starved, and subjected to wave after wave of mass forced displacement, as Israel continues its genocide in Gaza. Deliberately inflicting yet another devastating wave of mass displacement amidst this suffering is not just inhumane, it is a flagrant violation of international law,” Erika Rosas, senior director of research, advocacy, policy, and campaigns at Amnesty International, said on Friday.
The humanitarian fallout has been severe. Hospitals and clinics are collapsing, and major aid organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières and the International Committee of the Red Cross have suspended operations in the city due to Israel’s escalation of its attacks, according to the rights group.
Amnesty has called on the international community to take urgent action for the Gaza Strip. “Palestinians in Gaza have long been passed the point of no return, each day costs lives and crushes humanity,” the organization said.
“States must uphold their obligations under international law to bring Israel’s genocide against Palestinians to an end. Symbolic acts, such as recognizing the State of Palestine while continuing to supply arms to Israel and failing to address impunity for atrocity crimes, are not effective. States must use their leverage to secure an immediate ceasefire and force Israel to stop its genocide in Gaza. The unlawful occupation of the entire occupied Palestinian territory must end, and Israel’s system of apartheid must be dismantled without delay,” Amnesty highlighted.
