Israel accused of crimes against humanity over forced displacement in Gaza

Human Rights Watch says it has evidence that suggests ‘the war crime of forcible transfer’ of civilians

Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike in the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Hospital where displaced people live in tents, in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. Picture: AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana

Israel is using evacuation orders to pursue the “deliberate and massive forced displacement” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, according to a report by Human Rights Watch, which says the policy amounts to crimes against humanity.

The US-based group added it had collected evidence that suggested “the war crime of forcible transfer [of the civilian population]”, describing it as “a grave breach of the Geneva conventions and a crime under the Rome statute of the international criminal court”.