Geneva - The Israeli army's labelling of Palestinian residents of the northern Gaza Valley as "terrorists" if they continue to refuse Israel's evacuation order is deeply alarming, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said in a statement today.
Over the course of the past few hours, the Euro-Mediterranean Observatory for Human Rights in Gazahas documented the dropping of leaflets by Israeli drones warning Palestinians in the Gaza and NorthGaza governorates that they will be deemed "partners in a terrorist organisation" if they do not comply with orders to evacuate to the centre and south of the Strip.
According to Euro-Med Monitor, the Israeli army had been warning Gazans to leave these residential areas "for the sake of their safety" for more than a week. In a shocking turn of events, however, the army began threatening to designate them "partners in a terrorist organisation", and thus legitimate targets for bombardment as part of its ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The new leaflets, which were well-checked by the Euro-Med team, stated: "Urgent warning to residents of Gaza. Your presence north of Wadi Gaza puts your life in danger. Whoever chooses not to leave North Gaza for the south of Wadi Gaza might be identified as an accomplice in a terrorist organisation."
These menacing leaflets come after the Israeli army, on 12 October, ordered about 1.1 million residents living in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate to the south, without guaranteeing their safety or allowing their return in the future.
Tens of thousands of people were displaced to the central and southern sections of the Strip, where hundreds of them have been killed during theevacuation process or in the bombing of the new locations they were told to seek refuge in. Additionally, some evacuees have been forced to return to their homes after failing to find shelter due to severe overcrowding in Gaza's refugee centres.
Since the start of the Israeli military attack on 7 October, over one million people have been displaced, about half of whom took refuge in UN-run schools that lack basic humanitarian necessities. Some of these schools have now been targeted by Israeli airstrikesmore than once.
Israel insists on carrying out forced transfers of civilians in Gaza in flagrant violation of international law, and is giving itself a green light to target civilians (those so-called "terrorists") who refuse the evacuation order.
Euro-Med Monitor emphasised that civilians cannot be considered legitimate targets or deprived of the full protection they are entitled to under the laws of war ifthey refuse to leave because they have nowhere else to go; are elderly, sick, or disabled; or simply do not want to leave their homes and allow Israel to destroy everything they own.
An Israeli military official declared on Saturday that the definition of what constitutes a "legitimate target" has now changed, and that private homes "can be considered a legitimate target" under the pretext of targeting civilian infrastructure "used" by Palestinian armed groups.
In the absence of a substitute safe haven, Euro-MedMonitor cautioned, informing civilians that their residential areas will be the target of indiscriminate attacks is ineffective. Rather, the occupation authority has to provide them with the necessary protection if they are unable or unwilling to evacuate.
Euro-Med Monitor emphasised that the laws of war strictly forbid intentionally targeting civilians under any circumstances, and that forcing civilians to evacuate their homes is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and a crime against humanity.
The latest Israeli warning comes as preparations for a ground invasion into Gaza are underway—amid a total blackout of water, food, fuel, and electricity suppliesthere for 16 consecutive days now.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor emphasised that the fundamental principles of the laws of war state thatcivilians and civilian structures can never be seen as legitimate targets; excessive and random acts of violence are forbidden; collective punishment is not permitted; torture and mutilation are forbidden; and prisoners must be treated humanely.
