The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) bloody military offensive on the Gaza Strip, including targeting tents for displaced civilians in “humanitarian zones” designated by IOF for civilians to evacuate to after they had been forcibly displaced from their original areas.
In recent hours, IOF have conducted strikes against Palestinian families, exterminating some in their displacement tents in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. These attacks have been committed without any justification or necessity amid Israel’s non-distinguishment between civilians and non-civilians. Such conduct comes as part of Israel’s ongoing genocide against the people of the Gaza Strip for 18 months now.
Meanwhile, famine spreads across the Gaza Strip as bakeries are shut down and most essential goods and foodstuffs have been depleted in addition to lack of many types of medicines and medical consumables. This unprecedented and aggravating humanitarian crisis is threatening the lives of 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip putting them at two horrible choices- to die from bombardment or perish from hunger and lack of medical treatment.
As recent documentation and monitoring by our field researchers have shown, at approximately 11:25 on Thursday, 17 April 2025, an Israeli drone targeted a classroom on the ground floor of Al-Ayoubiyah School run by UNRWA in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Stripwhich was sheltering displaced people. As a result, fourwere killed, including a young girl, and two others—a woman and a young girl— sustained various injuries.Those killed were identified as ‘Abeer Hasan Hossam Sorour (10), Mohammed Khaled Ahmed Abu Rukbah (35), Zaid Nabil Mohammed al-Rantisi (36) and ‘Abdel Rahim Mohammed Rabi’a Hamdiyah (36).
On the same day at around 01:00, an Israeli drone bombed a tent sheltering displaced people on the new Dakhiliyah Street in Jabalia, killing seven from the same family, including 5 children. Those killed were identified as Ghassan Ra’ed Salem ‘Asaliyah (31), his wife Khadijah Wafi Salem ‘Asaliyah (29) and their children: Jamalat (12), Rahaf (10), Israa’ (9), Ra’ed (7) and Rafi (one year and a half). Moreover, civilians in nearby tents sustained various injuries.
At around 00:30 on Thursday, an Israeli drone bombed a tent for displaced people in al-Razan area, Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, killing a family of 6, including 4 children. Those killed were identified as Mohammed Mousa ‘Abdel Wahab al-‘Otol (42), his wife Islam Kamal ‘Abdel Hamid al-‘Otol (32) and their children Rahaf (12), Anas (10), Leen (7) and Mousa (2).
At around 22:50 on Wednesday, 16 April 2025, Israeli warplanes targeted tents for Abu al-Rous Family displaced in northwestern Mawasi Khan Younis. As a result, 10 displaced people, including 3 women and 6 children (one with disability), were killed and their bodies were totally burnt after fire engulfed the place. Moreover, 11 others were injured; 4 of them are deemed in critical condition. Those killed were identified as Amna ‘Abdel Karim Abu al-Rous (68), Nahed Zayed Abu al-Rous (36) and her 3 children, Ahmed (13 years old and has a mobility impairment), Nour (14) and Farah (9) Zuheir Abu al-Rous, Tahrir Ibrahim Ahmed Abu al-Rous (27) and her 3 children, Ayah (4), Ahmed (1) and Seif (3) Nidal Abu al-Rous and Mahmoud ‘Abdel Karim Abu al-Rous (25).
An eyewitness and relative of the victims said to PCHR’s researcher that fire broke out in the targeted tent, burning alive some victims, particularly children, before civil defense crew could reach them.
PCHR emphasizes that IOF’s ongoing attacks on civilianfamilies in their places of displacement and erasing them in their makeshift tents in al-Mawasi area designated by Israel as a safe humanitarian zone further prove the comprehensive and systematic nature of this military offensive that has left no safe havens for civilians. PCHR emphasizes that such attacks are a clear embodiment of Israel’s ongoing crime of genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
PCHR warns of the growing starvation crisis as Israel continues to close Gaza’s crossings and blocks humanitarian aid and food and medical supplies for the 45th consecutive day. Such measures have severely worsened hunger and malnutrition levels, particularly among children, women and patients. Depriving the population of food and medicine falls under Israel’s collective punishment policy and amounts to a crime against humanity.
PCHR underscores that Israel’s ongoing and escalating expansion of its military offensive amid the international community’s silence and inaction is a stain to the consciousness of all states and organizations which turns a blind eye or even justifies this genocide. This silence requires an urgent need for immediate international action to put an end to Israel’s crimes and systematic violations against the Palestinian people.
PCHR calls on the international community to take decisive and urgent measures to stop the ongoing genocide and hold the Israeli leaders accountable for their atrocious crimes before the international justice. PCHR also urges the State Parties to the Genocide Convention to fulfil their legal obligations and take urgent action to protect the Palestinian civilians from the genocide, mass killings and grave human rights violations.
