Ethnic cleansing looms in Gaza as Israel increases issuance of evacuation orders in southern areas

Gaza, 8 January 2023 — Al Mezan expresses profound concern and alarm over the increased issuance of evacuation orders by the Israeli military in areas south of Wadi Gaza. Significantly, these are the same areas where 1.1 million residents of Gaza and North Gaza districts were repeatedly instructed to evacuate.

Based on our monitoring, during the week of 1-7 January 2024, the Israeli military issued at least four evacuation orders addressed to areas in southern Gaza, primarily in or around Nuseirat refugee camp (Middle Area District) and in Khan Younis, directing residents to relocate to Deir al Balah and Al-Shaboura, Al-Zohour, and Tal Al-Sultan neighborhoods in Rafah. This marks a significant increase compared to the period between 15 November (when Al Mezan documented the first evacuation order issued by the Israeli military to southern areas) and 31 December 2023. During this period, Al Mezan documented the issuance of at least six evacuation orders directed at Khan Yunis City and refugee camp, Al-Bureij refugee camp, and other areas in the Middle Area District. (See graphic below).[1]

Approximately 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced by Israel's genocidal military campaign, with many enduring displacements more than once. The continued issuance of new evacuation orders is instilling widespread terror and fear among the civilian population in Gaza. People are forced to abandon all their belongings and are perpetually confronted with the challenge of securing new shelter. Rafah and Deir al-Balah are flooded with internally displaced persons (IDPs), such that newly arrived IDPs often have no alternative but to take refuge in tents.

Presently, Rafah—the southernmost district of Gaza adjacent to the border with Egypt—is hosting 1.3 million Palestinians within an area of 65 square kilometers, as reported by the Rafah Municipality. This population represents over half of the total inhabitants of Gaza. With the current population density in Rafah reaching 20,000/km², the potential death toll from a single Israeli strike can be hundreds of Palestinian civilians. 

Al Mezan and partners have repeatedly warned of the deliberate and repeated Israeli attacks on IDPs forced to move to areas designated as 'safe' by the Israeli military itself. Particularly disturbing is the labeling of any areas in Gaza as 'safe,' a claim consistently refuted by Al Mezan, which maintains that nowhere in Gaza is safe.

While Israeli authorities maintain that evacuation orders are issued for the safety of the population, Al Mezan expresses growing concern that they are being employed as a means for ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Gaza's Palestinian population. These concerns are amplified by statements from senior Israeli government officials supporting the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the reconstruction of illegal settlements in Gaza. A leaked document by Israel’s Intelligence Ministry dated 13 October 2023 has suggested the deportation of Palestinian civilians from Gaza to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Additionally, there are growing reports of ongoing discussions between Israeli officials and other States regarding the reception of Palestinian refugees following their forced deportation from Gaza, concealed by Israeli officials under the term ‘voluntary migration’.

It has become increasingly evident that through its genocidal military campaign, Israel is deliberately seeking to render Gaza uninhabitable. Estimates indicate that Israeli attacks have destroyed or rendered uninhabitable 65,000 housing units across Gaza, while another 290,000 housing units have been damaged. Based on this information, it is further estimated that over 500,000 Palestinians will find themselves without a home to return to, while a significant number may encounter obstacles in immediate return due to the extensive damage to surrounding infrastructure and the persistent risk posed by explosive remnants of war.

Through its actions, the Israeli military is establishing irreversible facts on the ground leaving no viable alternative but the mass displacement of Palestinians who survive the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza. The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons raised similar concerns, warning that “Israel is seeking to permanently alter the composition of Gaza’s population with ever-expanding evacuation orders and widespread and systematic attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in southern areas of the besieged enclave”.

The ethnic cleansing of Gaza aligns fully with Israel's settler-colonialist endeavors spanning all of historic Palestine. It must be understood alongside the forced displacement of nearly 2,000  Palestinians in recent months and the expansion of illegal settlements and outposts in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This collective pattern underscores a broader strategy that warrants immediate intervention and action from the international community for the protection of Palestinian civilians and communities.

The use of such evacuation orders for what appears to be a coordinated effort of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement is a grave violation of international law and humanitarian principles. International humanitarian law prohibits any forcible displacement committed by parties to an armed conflict. The Palestinian population in Gaza is entitled to the protection stipulated for those living under belligerent occupation, as outlined in the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which categorizes forcible transfer as both a grave breach and a war crime. In the context of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population, forcible transfer and deportation are also deemed crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.[2] 

The current situation demands immediate and resolute action to avert the looming threat of ethnic cleansing of Gaza’s Palestinian population. Mere condemnation falls short of what is urgently required. The international community must move beyond verbal disapproval and swiftly implement concrete actions, including holding Israel accountable for past and current violations of international law, including the de facto and de jure annexation of Palestinian territory, the transfer of parts of its own civilian population into the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT), and the forcible transfer of protected Palestinians within the OPT. 

The potential success of ethnic cleansing efforts in Gaza is closely linked to the perpetual impunity Israel continues to enjoy despite its countless violations of international law norms. The lack of meaningful consequences or accountability encourages Israel in its actions, fostering an environment in which ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, and forcible transfer and deportation can advance unchecked. This underscores the imperative for the international community to re-evaluate its position, prioritize accountability and actively engage in protecting the rights of the Palestinian population of Gaza and across the rest of the OPT.

In conclusion, Al Mezan fervently emphasizes that an immediate ceasefire stands as the most effective and urgent measure to prevent the continuation of forced mass displacement and the further widespread destruction in Gaza. The cessation of Israeli aggression must coincide with the complete lifting of the closure and blockade on Gaza, paving the way for an intensified distribution of humanitarian aid that comprehensively reaches the entire population. This includes prioritizing assistance to the thousands of civilians who remain in the northern districts of Gaza, recognizing the critical need to address their specific humanitarian needs.

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For further information or media inquiries, please contact: advocacy@mezan.org