Gaza displacement amounts to war crime, NGO says

Hello. Today we're covering a new report from Human Rights Watch, which alleges that the mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza amounts to a war crime. Israel has said the report is "completely false and detached from reality". In Harare, Zimbabwe, Shingai Nyoka speaks to a woman who blames the Church of England for her brother's death in a Christian holiday camp run by prolific child abuser John Smyth.

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Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of war crimes

As many as 130,000 Palestinians have been displaced in northern Gaza since October 2024. Credit: Reuters

A report by Human Rights Watch alleges that Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity by deliberately causing the mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza. Under the international laws of war, forced displacement of civilians inside an occupied territory is prohibited, unless necessary for their security or an imperative military reason. Civilians must be moved safely, provided with accommodation and allowed to return home when hostilities end.

What is Human Rights Watch alleging?

About 1.9 million people - 90% of Gaza’s population - have fled their homes over the past year, and 79% of the territory is under Israeli-issued evacuation orders, according to the UN. HRW’s report says this amounts to “forcible transfer” and that “evidence shows it has been systematic and part of a state policy”. The report concludes that conditions that would make the displacement lawful have not been met. It also says Israeli actions appear to “meet the definition of ethnic cleansing”.

What else is the report saying?

The US-based group says the Israeli evacuation orders have been “inconsistent, inaccurate, and frequently not communicated to civilians with enough time”, and that they “did not consider the needs of people with disabilities and others who are unable to leave”. HRW also alleges that Israel’s military has “intentionally demolished or severely damaged civilian infrastructure, including controlled demolitions of homes, with the apparent aim of creating an extended ‘buffer zone’ along Gaza’s perimeter with Israel and a corridor which will bifurcate Gaza”.

What does Israel say?

Israel has said the report is "completely false and detached from reality". "Contrary to claims in HRW's report, Israel's efforts are directed solely at dismantling Hamas's terror capabilities and not at the people of Gaza," Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson of Israel's ministry of foreign affairs posted on X. He added Israel will "continue to operate in accordance with the law of armed conflict".

THE BIG PICTURE

Sudan death toll far higher than thought

The war in Sudan has displaced millions in what aid workers say is the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Credit: Getty Images

The number of people dying because of the civil war in Sudan is significantly higher than previously reported, according to a new study estimating that more than 61,000 people have died in Khartoum state. The study comes as a rights group says French military technology is being used in the conflict, in violation of a UN arms embargo.

And finally... in New Zealand

Parliament was briefly suspended on Thursday after Māori MPs performed a haka to disrupt a vote on a controversial bill. The legislation seeks to reinterpret the country's founding treaty with Māori people and has ignited protests across New Zealand. Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke ripped up a paper copy as she stood to lead the haka in parliament. Members from her party, Te Pāti Māori, other parties were joined by observers in the public gallery, while House Speaker Garry Bronwlee looked on, unimpressed.