Washington, DC., 13 May 2025 ——
The entire world has watched as Israel’s military operations spiraled into a systematic campaign of forced displacement in Gaza. What began as targeted strikes rapidly escalated into sustained bombardment, a full ground invasion, and the near-total siege of the enclave, drawing widespread international condemnation and raising serious concerns about potential violations of international law.
What distinguishes the current crisis is the scale and intensity of military operations, coupled with an unprecedented humanitarian collapse. These developments have prompted a growing chorus of international voices, including humanitarian and human rights organizations, UN agencies, and regional observers, to assert that Israel’s operations go beyond military necessity. What is taking place could constitute ethnic cleansing, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide.
Global calls for an immediate cessation of these actions and accountability for those responsible have risen in intensity. The situation remains dire, with the potential for further escalation and long-term repercussions for regional stability and international relations.
Israel’s Military Campaign in Gaza
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly two million people, more than 90% of Gaza’s population, have been forcibly displaced by IDF operations, including forced evacuations. Most Gazans have been displaced multiple times.
Israel’s campaign has featured repeated evacuation orders issued to civilians in various parts of the territory. In northern Gaza, entire neighborhoods were told to evacuate to the south ahead of Israeli ground incursions and airstrikes. Later, southern areas, once deemed “safe zones”, also came under bombardment, leaving over a million displaced Gazans with nowhere to go.
Israel asserts that it warns civilians before attacks and seeks to avoid civilian casualties, a claim it says is evidenced by phone calls, leaflet drops, and digital maps outlining evacuation routes. However, such measures are inadequate when safe areas do not exist, and when repeated relocations place enormous physical and psychological strain on a besieged population.
In these conditions, the line between evacuation for protection and coerced displacement becomes increasingly blurred. These orders often lack clarity and are followed by attacks on designated “safe zones,” rendering them unsafe and unsustainable for civilians. Many displaced individuals are left without adequate shelter, food, or sanitation, and their homes are often destroyed, preventing their return even after hostilities cease.
Moreover, the Israeli government has initiated plans to facilitate “voluntary resettlement”. This move is a guise for the permanent removal of Palestinians from Gaza and constitutes ethnic cleansing. Leaked documents and proposals, such as a reported plan from Israel’s Ministry of Intelligence, suggest the “voluntary resettlement” of Gazans to other countries. The unspoken part of that is, what if Palestinians are not interested or unwilling to “voluntarily resettle”? What is the Israeli plan then?
Neighboring countries, particularly Egypt, have expressed strong opposition to any plans that would involve the relocation of Gaza’s population. Egypt has warned that such actions would destabilize the region and undermine its sovereignty. International bodies, including the United Nations, have rejected such plans, emphasizing that forced expulsion is a grave violation of international humanitarian law (IHL).
International Legal Framework
Under IHL, particularly the Geneva Conventions, the forcible displacement or forcible transfer of a civilian population without a legitimate security justification is prohibited. While ethnic cleansing is not a standalone crime under international law, it intersects with various crimes codified under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including forcible transfer, persecution, and extermination – all of which are considered as potential war crimes.
Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has condemned Israel’s actions as genocide, describing the situation as the largest ethnic cleansing operation since World War II. He criticized European inaction and called for stronger measures, including arms limitations and sanctions, to hold Israel accountable.
The European Union has also expressed strong opposition to any plans that would lead to the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, reaffirming its commitment to a two-state solution and the rights of the Palestinian people.
Israel has justified its actions as necessary to dismantle Hamas, rescue hostages, and ensure national security. However, statements by some Israeli officials advocating for the mass displacement of Palestinians and the “voluntary resettlement” of Gazans in other countries have raised alarm about intent. Whether the events in Gaza are legally classified as ethnic cleansing, genocide, or another crime under international law will ultimately be determined by international tribunals.
The Human Factor
Beyond legal terminology, the reality on the ground is harrowing. As of mid-2025, more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities and international monitors. A majority of the victims are women and children.
The cumulative effect of Israel’s military actions has produced a de facto humanitarian collapse in Gaza, with a lack of access to clean water, nonexistent electricity, and the destruction of critical infrastructure. Gaza’s health system has collapsed. Aid agencies have described the situation as “unlivable” and warned of mass food insecurity, impending famine, and widespread starvation.
International aid organizations have reported that they have had to close their operations due to the ongoing conflict, the blockade, and restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities. There are no resources, no food, and no supplies to prepare meals or bread for the people in Gaza.
Entire neighborhoods have been leveled, hospitals, schools, and safe zones have been bombed. Families are living in makeshift tents, schools have become shelters, and children, many of whom are now orphans, bear the psychological scars of relentless trauma.
The destruction of Gaza’s cultural heritage, universities, and civic institutions has also prompted fears of erasing Palestinian national identity, another hallmark often associated with ethnic cleansing.
The international community faces a critical test: to uphold the principles of human rights and the rule of law, even in the most politically sensitive contexts. Accountability, protection of civilians, and an end to the cycle of violence are not only moral imperatives, but they are also necessary for any hope of a lasting peace.
Photo Credit: Voices from Gaza – Women’s Stories – Kholoud, by UN Women Arab States. UN Women/Suleiman Hajji. Licensed under CC BY NC ND 2.0
September 2024 – UN Women spoke with three generations of women from one family in Gaza, who have endured war, displacement, and uncertainty for decades. Women bear an especially heavy burden during these times. Kholoud Al Gourani, 28, recounts the horrors with a heavy heart: “This war defies all comprehension. We never imagined we would lose our homes, our cherished memories, and our loved ones. Displacement has become our constant reality. At our last refuge, Al Amal Hospital, we woke to find it encircled by Israeli soldiers and tanks, forcing us to flee once more. I will never forget the agony of losing my dear friend Ikhlas, who died alongside her newborn just two weeks after giving birth. The war rages on, claiming the lives of civilians – mothers, daughters, and sons. Our hope for peace feels like a distant dream, overshadowed by our reality of loss and suffering.”
Lara Kajs is the founder and executive director of The Genocide Report, an NGO nonprofit organization in Washington, DC. She is the author of Assad’s Syria, and Stories from Yemen: A Diary from the Field, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, and independent bookstores worldwide. Distributed by Ingram. Ms. Kajs frequently speaks about atrocity crimes, forced displacement, and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Follow and connect with Lara Kajs on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.