WASHINGTON − According to a report released by Human Rights Watch on Thursday, Israel has engaged in a “large-scale, intentional forced displacement of Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” qualifying as a war crime and a crime against humanity.

The 154-page document titled “Hopeless, Starving and Besieged” reviewed Israel’s actions since the onset of the war in Gaza last October. The report concluded that Israel has orchestrated a “widespread and systematic” campaign of forced displacement, which the authors argued constitutes ethnic cleansing.

The authors call for all nations to halt military assistance and arms sales to Israel and to impose sanctions on Israeli officials implicated in these war crimes.

The conflict in Gaza erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of hundreds, alongside numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity attributed to Hamas, according to the report. In retaliation, Israel initiated a brutal offensive against the Gaza Strip, leading to over 43,000 Palestinian fatalities, based on local government reports.

As per United Nations estimates, approximately 1.9 million Palestinians, or nearly 90% of Gaza’s population, have been forced to flee their homes. The report indicates that comments made by high-ranking Israeli officials imply that this displacement was intentional and coercive.

To gather information, the report’s authors interviewed 39 displaced individuals, studied Israel’s evacuation protocols, examined imagery of Israeli strikes on designated safe areas, and utilized satellite images to assess the damage in Gaza.

Under international humanitarian law, forcibly deporting or relocating civilians is prohibited and considered a war crime unless necessary for their safety.

Israel contends that it is protecting civilians and that displacements are necessary to combat Hamas, which operates within civilian areas and manages significant public services in the enclave. However, the report countered that these assertions are “largely false.”

According to the report, Israel’s evacuation strategy “failed to ensure safety for civilians and instead heightened fear and distress,” with the military consistently targeting evacuation corridors and issuing “inconsistent and imprecise” mandates that did not provide residents with ample time to evacuate.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to the report, as reported by multiple news outlets.

The report warns that the extensive destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure and Israel’s establishment of “permanent buffer zones” at the border will likely hinder many displaced individuals from returning to their homes.

The release of this report followed a statement from the U.S. asserting that Israel had not impeded humanitarian aid to Gaza after it issued a 30-day ultimatum to increase aid deliveries.

However, eight international aid organizations claimed that Israel has not fulfilled its responsibilities.

The U.S. government stated that Israel must permit at least 350 trucks to enter Gaza daily, while aid groups reported that an average of only 42 trucks have been allowed in each day. Furthermore, they noted that over half of the requests made by humanitarian workers to the Israeli military for movement of personnel and supplies were denied throughout the month.

During a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarked that Israel “has achieved the objectives set for itself” in Gaza and advocated for “genuine and extended pauses” in the conflict.

“This should be a moment to bring the war to an end,” he declared.