Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said that Israel is committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, according to a report released on Thursday. The organization claims that Israel’s repeated evacuation orders for Palestinians in Gaza amount to the war crime of forcible transfer, and that, in some areas, these actions could be considered ethnic cleansing.
The HRW report is based on interviews with displaced Gazans, satellite images, and other public sources, collected until August 2024. HRW researcher Nadia Hardman explained that the evidence shows Israeli officials are intentionally forcing Palestinians to leave their homes. The report argues that Israel’s actions meet the legal definition of ethnic cleansing, especially in areas where Palestinians are unlikely to ever be allowed to return.
Although Israel justifies the evacuations as necessary for civilian safety or military purposes, Hardman said Israel cannot simply use the presence of armed groups as an excuse for forcing people from their homes. "Israel would have to prove in each case that displacement was the only option to comply with international law," Hardman added.
The United Nations reports that as of October 2024, nearly 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced. Before the war began on October 7, 2023, Gaza had a population of around 2.4 million.
HRW highlighted that Israel’s actions are making large parts of Gaza uninhabitable, with some areas being permanently destroyed. "This amounts to ethnic cleansing," said HRW’s Middle East spokesperson, Ahmed Benchemsi.
The report also focused on two key areas: the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian border and the Netzarim Corridor, which cuts across Gaza. These areas have been "razed, extended, and cleared" by Israeli forces to create buffer zones and security corridors. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel must maintain long-term control over the Philadelphi Corridor. HRW also noted that Israeli forces have turned the Netzarim corridor into a wide buffer zone, largely clearing it of buildings.
The HRW report, however, does not include events after August 2024, including a major Israeli military operation in northern Gaza that began in early October 2024. This offensive has caused at least 100,000 more Palestinians to flee their homes. UN officials say the offensive has forced many to move south to Gaza City and nearby areas.
One displaced Palestinian, Ragheb al-Rubaiya, 63, from Jabalia Camp in northern Gaza, told AFP that he was forced to leave after bombing and shelling began. "They’re destroying everything in Jabalia. The goal is clear: to wipe out the north and cut it off from Gaza," he said.
HRW argues that Israel’s actions are part of a coordinated effort to remove Palestinians from certain areas and ensure these regions remain empty of Palestinian residents.