Act decisively and without delay to end the human suffering and uphold international law in the occupied Palestinian territory

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) has borne witness to the widespread disregard for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in this conflict and has repeatedly called for meaningful urgent action for the protection of civilians and stopping the use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA). Yet, as of today, the situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) remains catastrophic, and the international response continues to fall dangerously short.

During the conflict, Hamas and other Palestinian Armed Groups (PAG) engaged in the deliberate killing of Israeli civilians, indiscriminate rocket attacks on populated urban areas, and the taking of hostages, acts that are prohibited under international law and may amount to war crimes. Knowingly placing civilians near military targets to shield those targets can also amount to war crime. While it may not be possible to establish conclusively whether Hamas has indeed been acting with such specific intent, there are serious grounds for concern that it has been doing so.

Throughout the conflict, Israeli forces have continued to use excessive and unlawful force, resulting in mass civilian casualties and widespread injuries.¹ Essential civilian infrastructure has been systematically destroyed, and large parts of the Gaza strip remain contaminated with unexploded ordnance. The widespread use of EWIPA has also caused daily forced displacements, creating a cycle of insecurity for the population. Over 81% of Gaza Strip is now within the Israeli-militarised zone, resulting in daily forced displacement of the population.

The ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid, and its subsequent militarisation by Israel has not only undermined principled humanitarian action and IHL but has also proven fatal, and dehumanising for civilians trying to access meagre quantities of food. With Gaza’s healthcare system in ruins, many of those shot at these militarised food distribution sites, backed by Israel, are denied lifesaving medical care. All this while, the specific needs of persons with disabilities, who are unable to reach the dangerous militarised food distribution points, are completely disregarded. The conflict and the use of starvation as a method of warfare has pushed the population in Gaza to face acute food insecurity and starvation.

The continuing blockade of Gaza, widespread destruction of infrastructure, forced displacement, and obstruction of humanitarian access reflect a systemic failure to uphold legal obligations and constitute a clear violation of IHL. Some of these acts by Israel, may also amount to war crimes.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its provisional measures also confirmed that at least some of the acts and omissions committed by Israel in Gaza appear to be capable of falling within the provision of the Genocide convention.  Since then, several international organizations have supported this finding and published reports affirming the qualification of genocide.

Additionally, the Israeli government has systematically sought to shrink humanitarian and civil space through the introduction of new visa and registration requirements for international NGOs operating in the oPt. These requirements are based on vague and politicized criteria, including staff vetting, as well alarming constraints on humanitarian advocacy.

All this while, HI with other experienced humanitarian actors remains ready to deliver life-saving assistance at scale. Through principled humanitarian action, we continue to uphold the commitment to deliver humanitarian assistance to those who need it the most, with dignity.

While conditions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, significantly deteriorated after October 7, 2023, the situation has reached a critical point following the temporary ceasefire in Gaza in January 2025. Across the oPt, Israel’s annexation of the illegally occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is accelerating. This is taking place through a pattern of violent military raids, settlement expansion, intensified demolitions, and mass forced displacements. Arbitrary arrests and killings by Israeli forces have surged, and settler violence has escalated sharply. Humanitarian organizations operating in the West Bank have reported increasing difficulties in accessing communities that are now mostly gated by Israeli forces.

In this regard, the ICJ has issued an Advisory Opinion (AO) concluding that Israel is obligated to end its unlawful presence in the oPt as soon as possible, including the withdrawal of all military forces from the oPt, its airspace, and maritime space. The Court further stated that Israel must immediately cease all new settlement activities and evacuate all settlers from the oPt. The ICJ further confirmed that Israel’s policies in the oPt violate the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), which prohibits racial segregation and apartheid, and reaffirmed the Palestinian right to self-determination.

Parties to the conflict and Third States must act now, decisively and without delay, to end the extreme human suffering in the oPt, and to uphold international law.

Recommendations

To Israel:

• Agree to and uphold an immediate and permanent ceasefire to save and protect civilian life.
• As the occupying power, allow the unhindered passage into Gaza of humanitarian aid and other life-saving supplies, including food, water, medicine, fuel, electricity and other necessities.
• Discontinue any aid militarisation schemes that dismantle the already existing system and that do not fully respect and adhere to humanitarian principles and international law.
• End the unlawful occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, in line with the ICJ AO of 19 July 2024.
• Stop the use of EWIPA in the oPt, as they have a systematic indiscriminate impact on civilians.

To Hamas and other PAG:

• Agree to and uphold an immediate, sustained ceasefire to save and protect civilian life.
• Immediately and unconditionally release hostages.
• Fully respect and adhere to humanitarian principles and international law.

To Third States:

• Take concrete actions to ensure an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
• Secure the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages.
• Take urgent steps to bring an end to all Israeli actions in Gaza which may amount to genocide, including by ensuring as a first step that Israel duly implements all provisional measures ordered by the ICJ since 26 January 2024.
• Take concrete measures to end the suffocating blockade of humanitarian aid and to uphold the right of civilians in Gaza to access aid safely and to protection.
• Immediately suspend the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer, including transit and trans-shipment, to parties to the conflict of all weapons, munitions and other military and security equipment, considering the clear risk that they could contribute to the commission of serious violations of IHL and international human rights law.
• Signatory states of the political declaration on EWIPA should strongly condemn attacks directed against civilians and civilian infrastructures, as mentioned in the political declaration (Article 2.6).
• Fully comply with their obligations under IHL and redouble efforts to ensure respect for IHL by parties to the conflict, as required under Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions. By failing to take appropriate measures to prevent or respond to IHL violations, Third States would themselves be in breach of international law.
• Monitor the implementation of Resolution 2475 (2019) on the protection of persons with disabilities in the armed conflict and should ensure adherence to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to address the detrimental health impacts of the protracted occupation, hostilities, violence and insecurity on persons with injuries and disabilities.
• Support restoring a unified, UN-led coordination mechanism, grounded in IHL and inclusive of UNRWA, Palestinian civil society and the wider humanitarian community to meet the needs of the population.
• Rescind any measures that restrict humanitarian and civic space, including the recent decisions on INGO registration and visa requirements.
• Uphold legal obligations, including under the ICJ AO on Israel’s presence in the oPt.

For further context, and detailed recommendations addressed to key stakeholders, please refer to our extended statement here.

1. At the time of writing this statement, since October 7, 2023, at least 61,722 Palestinians have been killed, and 154,525 Palestinians injured in Gaza.