HRW report says Israel committed ‘war crimes and crimes against humanity’

Israel’s repeated evacuation orders in Gaza amount to the “war crime of forced transfer” and “ethnic cleansing” in parts of the Palestinian territory, Human Rights Watch said in a report.

“Human Rights Watch has gathered evidence that Israeli officials … are committing the war crime of forced transfer”, the report said.

“Israel’s actions also appear to meet the definition of ethnic cleansing” in areas where Palestinians will not be able to return, HRW added.

HRW researcher Nadia Hardman noted that the 172-page report’s findings are based on interviews with displaced Gaza residents, satellite imagery and public reports conducted through August 2024.

Although Israel says the displacement is justified for civilian safety or military imperatives, Hardman said “Israel cannot simply rely on the presence of armed groups to justify the displacement of civilians.”

“Israel should demonstrate in every case that displacement of civilians is the only option,” in order to fully comply with international humanitarian law.

Hezbollah claims new strikes in northern Israel

Lebanon’s Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a series of rockets on Israel’s northern armed forces on Wednesday evening.

The Iran-backed group said in a statement that it targeted “a gathering of enemy Israeli army forces in the settlement of Sa’sa with a volley of rockets.”

Welcome to our live blog, where we bring you the latest news about the ongoing war in the Middle East. To read all about yesterday’s key developments, click Here.