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Erasure by Design: Israel’s Genocidal Acts as Tools for Territorial Expansion in Gaza

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Action For Humanity – International, one of the UK’s leading humanitarian agencies operating in Gaza, have conducted unprecedented research into the displacement orders handed by Israel to Palestinian civilians, as well as the condition for IDPs in the region. The findings reveal a brutal, deliberate pattern by Israel of systematically inflicting life-threatening conditions on Palestinians in Gaza.

We asked questions of IDPs on the so called 'evacuation orders' and the conditions in the so called 'humanitarian zones'

  • 15% of respondents said they were unable to evacuate due to disability or caregiving responsibility when given an 'evacuation order'. Meaning people with disabilities, carers, the elderly and pregnant women are at a heightened risk from military action as there are physical barriers to them evacuating, especially as 35% of people say they were given less than an hour's warning by the 'evacuation orders'
  • 98% of people have been displaced multiple times, 24% have been displaced 10 or more times over the past year
  • 28% received evacuation orders at night, while they were sleeping
  • And on the 'humanitarian zones' 73% say conditions are 'poor' or 'very poor' - 4 in 5 have insufficient access to food, two thirds have poor access to clean drinking water, 4 in 5 have no access to adequate medical care.

From Charles Lawley, Director of Communications and Advocacy:

“This report shows that Gaza is being erased in plain sight. The so-called ‘evacuation orders’ - and I hesitate to call them that, as that is the language used by the Israeli military and implies it is doing the people of Gaza a favour by giving them a warning before bombing their homes – inflict terrors, are ambiguous and difficult to comply with, on the occasions they are given.

“Likewise the so-called ‘humanitarian zones’ are anything but, people have little access to food, clean water and medical care. The conditions are not fit for humans.

“With such damage to infrastructure, the bombing of Gaza, even with so called ‘evacuation orders’ puts people who cannot afford the transport to escape and those with caregiving or physical barriers to escape – such as pregnant women, the elderly and people with disabilities – at a heightened risk of being killed, as escaping is even more difficult for them.

“This pattern of relentless military force, characterised by aerial bombardment and ground incursions, forcible transfers, deprivation of basic necessities, and the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, roads and other civilian infrastructure, systematically create life-threatening conditions that align with acts of extermination and genocide. Reports suggest that the Israeli government is pushing for the annexation of Gaza. These plans, coupled with Action For Humanity’s report’s findings, appear designed to inflict conditions of life aimed at the physical destruction of the group, in whole or in part, not just as an atrocity in itself, but as a strategic tool in broader aims for territorial annexation using the group's destruction as a calculated tool to facilitate this expansion.”