Genocidal War and Forced Displacement: Targeting Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem
22/8/2025 – Union for Justice Foundation
The Israeli occupation authorities continue to escalate their violations against the Palestinian people in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and the besieged Gaza Strip, as part of systematic policies aimed at imposing a new reality on the ground and altering its demographic composition. The Union for Justice Foundation monitors these crimes, which violate all international laws and norms, and emphasizes the urgent need for accountability and immediate intervention to stop these blatant violations.
Policies of Forced Displacement and Land Seizure
Recent months have witnessed an unprecedented escalation in forced displacement and the seizure of Palestinian lands, manifested in several forms:
– Imposing restricted military zones: In the Jenin refugee camp, entry remains prohibited, preventing verification of internal conditions and demolitions, and no rehabilitation work has been allowed. In the Nur Shams camp in Tulkarm, the Israeli authorities declared the wooded area surrounding the camp a “closed military zone” until the end of October 2025. Some displaced families were forced to leave again after being targeted by occupation forces in the area.
– Targeting Bedouin communities: Since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, settler groups, supported politically and militarily by the occupation authorities, have intensified forced displacement campaigns against Bedouin communities in the West Bank, especially in Hebron and Ramallah governorates. 38 Bedouin communities were fully displaced from their homes during this period, and other communities were partially targeted.
– Establishment of settlement outposts and escalation of settler attacks: The occupation authorities established 59 new settlement outposts, most of them “pastoral outposts” used to impose control over Palestinian lands, representing an unprecedented jump compared to the previous annual average. The northern and central Jordan Valley witnessed a serious escalation in settler attacks as part of a systematic plan to seize vast areas of land. More than 30 cases of forced displacement of families from the northern Jordan Valley were documented within a single year, in addition to the displacement of 29 other Bedouin communities in the West Bank since October 2023.
– Confiscation and leveling of lands: A 1.5-dunum plot of land in Khirbet al-Hadidiya in the northern Jordan Valley was confiscated for digging a water well. An order was issued to seize 7 dunums in the village of Jinsafut in Qalqilya governorate to expand and create a new military road connecting the settlements of Ramat Gilad and Naveh Menachem. Occupation forces and settlers also cut down and destroyed 2,939 trees, most of them olive trees. Over 90% of the Palestinian Jordan Valley is classified as “state lands,” “nature reserves,” or “military zones”, classifications used by the occupation to deny Palestinians their right to the land.
Demolition of Homes and Structures
The first half of 2025 witnessed a sharp escalation in displacement due to demolitions carried out by the occupation authorities under the pretext of “lack of permits”:
– From January 28 to July 1, 2025, 840 Palestinian structures were demolished, resulting in the displacement of 807 people, including more than 400 children. This represents a significant increase compared to the same period in 2024 (581 structures, 308 displaced) and 2023 (414 structures, 546 displaced).
– In Jerusalem, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented the demolition of 118 structures for lacking building permits, causing the displacement of 355 Palestinians, including 178 children. Notably, 63% of these structures (74 buildings) were self-demolished by their owners to avoid paying fines and taxes.
– The displacement rate of Palestinians in East Jerusalem due to demolitions reached 51 people per month in 2023, compared to 29 per month between 2019–2022, and 15 per month between 2009–2018, reflecting a rapid deterioration in conditions.
Martyrs, Injuries, and Arrests
Occupation forces continue to systematically target and arrest Palestinian civilians:
– Martyrs and Injuries: In July 2025, 26 Palestinians were killed, including 8 children and one detainee. Hebron Governorate recorded the highest number with 7 martyrs, followed by Ramallah and Al-Bireh with 6 martyrs. Two were killed in assassination operations, nine during military raids, and four by settler attacks. Notably, activist Odeh Al-Hadalin was shot dead by a settler on July 29 in the village of Umm al-Khair, south of Hebron, while another civilian was seriously injured after being run over by a bulldozer.
– Mass Arrests: The total number of prisoners in Israeli jails reached approximately 10,800 detainees by early July 2025, the highest since the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000. This includes 49 female prisoners (2 from Gaza) and more than 450 children. The number of administrative detainees rose to 3,629.
– Arrest campaigns since October 7, 2023: The total arrests in the West Bank reached approximately 18,500, including around 570 women. At least 1,500 children were detained, and more than 194 journalists were arrested, 49 of whom remain in detention.
– Martyrs in prisons: At least 75 prisoners whose identities were announced were killed in occupation jails since October 7, 2023, including 46 from Gaza. Reports indicate dozens of other martyrs from Gaza prisoners whose identities or circumstances of death were not disclosed. Additionally, dozens of extrajudicial killings were documented both inside prisons and in field operations.
Aggression on the Gaza Strip and the Catastrophic Humanitarian Crisis
The Gaza Strip is facing a genocidal war that has resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian disaster:
– Human losses: By the end of July 2025, the total number of martyrs in Gaza since October 7, 2023, reached 60,138, with 146,269 others injured. Since the resumption of the war in March, 8,970 Palestinians were killed and 34,228 injured.
– Targeting hungry civilians: 1,239 civilians were killed and over 8,152 others injured since May 27, as they attempted to obtain food from distribution points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, targeted by occupation forces. This constitutes the militarization of humanitarian aid, turning it into a tool for strategic objectives.
– Hunger and malnutrition: The Ministry of Health in Gaza continues to document deaths caused by malnutrition, recording 154 fatalities by July 30, including 89 children. 81% of households in Gaza are experiencing a decline in food consumption, and 24% face severe hunger, exceeding famine thresholds.
– Severe nutritional deterioration: Rates of acute malnutrition doubled in Khan Yunis and increased by 70% in Deir al-Balah between May and July. In Gaza City, the rate rose from 4.4% in May to 16.5% in the first half of July, surpassing famine thresholds. 5,550 children under five were admitted for treatment of severe acute malnutrition during the first half of July. Additionally, 44% of pregnant and breastfeeding women suffer from severe malnutrition.
– Displacement: The number of displaced persons across Gaza has increased by more than 5,000 people, bringing the total to over 767,800 individuals since March 18. About 80% of recent displacements originated from or occurred within Khan Yunis Governorate.
– Risks of aerial aid drops: Despite Israeli military announcements of daily ceasefires and measures such as aerial aid drops, humanitarian organizations have warned of the dangers of these operations. Reports indicate that aid was dropped onto damaged tents and buildings, causing civilian injuries. These aerial drops lack fairness and effectiveness, result in unequal distribution of aid, exclude the most vulnerable groups, fail to meet basic needs, and are used to evade legal obligations.
Call for Accountability
The Union for Justice Foundation strongly condemns these continuous and blatant violations committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people. These acts violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law and, in some cases, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
We call upon the international community and all relevant judicial bodies to take responsibility to end these crimes, hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure the Palestinian people’s right to live with dignity and freedom on their land. A just and lasting peace cannot be achieved without ending the occupation and guaranteeing justice for the victims of these violations.
