Israel deliberately targets UN-run centers sheltering IDPs

The Euro-Med explained in a statement that this includes intensifying the bombing of shelter centers over the heads of the displaced people inside, as well as targeting areas designated as humanitarian zones, as part of the ongoing crime of genocide it has been committing since 7 October 2023.

It added that the Israeli occupation army has been killing large numbers of Palestinians in the Strip for nearly nine months now by bombing civilian targets, attacking United Nations-run shelter centers, and carrying out mass killings—each of which is a serious violation of international law on its own.

By targeting UNRWA schools functioning as shelter centers, Israeli bombing tactics demonstrate a deliberate policy intended to prevent security across the entire Gaza Strip and deny displaced Palestinians stability or shelter, even if that shelter is only temporary, the Euro-Med underlined.

Four Israeli attacks against shelter centers have been reported since dawn Tuesday 25 June, in addition to the demolishing of several homes on top of their occupants, it added.

The Euro-Med listed the most recent crimes of the Israeli occupation army that have been committed against civilians in the Strip, underscoring that apart from targeting refuge centers, Israeli warplanes bombed at least 12 houses in different areas of the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours. As a result, many people have been killed and injured, some of whom are still under the rubble.

Targeting shelter centers flying the UN flag and homes housing displaced persons, as well as eliminating entire families, confirms that the Israeli military is continuing to violate the principles of distinction, necessity, proportionality, and is refusing to take any precautions to prevent civilian deaths, the Euro-Med said.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor emphasized that there is no legal or moral justification for this violence, which is clearly part of a series of Israeli operations that deliberately use firepower to inflict grave harm on vulnerable Palestinian civilians, destroying many of their lives.

The Euro-Med said all nations are required to fulfill their international obligations by enacting strong sanctions against Israel and severing all other types of political, financial, and military support and cooperation, stressing that this includes immediately halting arms transfers to Israel.

Additionally, it urged the International Criminal Court to keep looking into any and all crimes committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, broaden its investigation into criminal responsibility in order to hold all perpetrators accountable and issue arrest warrants for those responsible.