Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of deliberately forcing the displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“The evidence strongly indicates that multiple acts of forced displacement were carried out with intent,” the report states, noting that “statements by senior officials with command responsibility show that forced displacement is intentional and forms part of Israeli state policy and therefore amount to a crime against humanity.”
The report cites numerous Israeli officials’ statements demonstrating this intent, including Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter’s declaration that “We are now rolling out the Gaza Nakba,” referring to the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948. The organisation emphasises that under international humanitarian law, the forcible transfer of protected persons within occupied territory is prohibited, with very limited exceptions for civilian security or imperative military reasons – conditions the report argues Israel has not met.
HRW documents how Israel’s evacuation system “gave instructions through unreliable means that were unclear, inaccurate, and contradictory, making it very difficult for civilians to know where or when to move.” Both evacuation routes and designated “safe zones” came under Israeli attack, while humanitarian aid was severely restricted.
The report’s findings come as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is hearing South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. The ICJ has already issued three provisional orders requiring Israel to prevent genocidal acts and ensure adequate humanitarian assistance reaches Gaza’s population. Despite these binding orders, HRW notes that Israel has “continued to restrict or block aid.”
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor has sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three now deceased Hamas leaders, over alleged war crimes. The ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed in Gaza since 2014, including the crime against humanity of forcible transfer.
HRW recommends that countries should suspend military assistance and arms sales to Israel while these violations continue. It calls for targeted sanctions against Israeli officials implicated in serious violations and urges the creation of a register of damages to calculate future reparations.
“Israel must urgently and immediately end the mass and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza,” the report concludes, calling for the ICC to investigate Israel’s forced displacement as a crime against humanity. The report also emphasises the need for fair and accessible mechanisms to provide reparations for gross human rights abuses against Palestinians in Gaza, including compensation for forced displacement and unlawful destruction of property.
According to HRW, the widespread destruction throughout Gaza renders return almost impossible for the foreseeable future. The United Nations Development Programme estimates it would take between $40 and $50 billion to rebuild Gaza, requiring an effort on a scale not seen since World War II.