Israel now controls 77% of the entire Gaza Strip

You can read the Arabic version of this article here.

The Government Media Office in Gaza confirmed in an official statement that Israel’s occupation forces continue to commit crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in one of the most heinous systematic crimes witnessed by the world in the 21st century.

Israel now controls the majority of Gaza

The statement pointed out that the occupation imposes its effective control over about 77% of the area of the Strip, through a direct land invasion, a large concentration in civilian areas, and tight control that prevents Palestinian citizens from reaching their homes, lands, and properties.

The occupation forces also impose unjust forced evacuation policies, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee under the constant threat of bombing and killing.

The statement explained that this approach constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which prohibit the forcible transfer or mass evacuation of the civilian population in occupied territories, as well as a crime against humanity according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The statement held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for these crimes, noting that the countries involved in supporting the occupation – such as the US, the UK, Germany, and France – also bear their responsibilities, warning of the consequences of continuing to control the vast majority of the area of the Strip, which may lead to the imposition of a colonial fait accompli and the redrawing of the population map by force.

Prosecutions must happen, and quickly

The Government Media Office called on the United Nations, the Security Council, and the International Criminal Court to take urgent action, open independent and urgent international investigations, and prosecute Israeli war criminals before the international judiciary.

It also called on the international community, human rights organisations and all free people of the world to support the rights of the Palestinian people in their land, and to stand against the occupation’s projects that aim to undermine the lives of Palestinians in their homeland.

He warned that the continuation of genocide, ethnic cleansing, colonisation and Israeli aggression reflects a political will to impose a ‘final solution’ by force, in blatant defiance of all international laws and norms, calling for a historic and courageous stance from the international community to save the identity of the Gaza Strip from being erased.

Featured image via the Canary