Oxfam: Israel's Campaign Aims to ‘Erase Gaza' Through Mass Displacement
DaysofPal- Oxfam International has accused Israel of waging a calculated campaign to 'erase Gaza itself' by forcibly displacing Palestinians and fragmenting the territory, rather than solely targeting Hamas. The global aid organization called on world powers to take concrete action to end Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza.
In a statement released by the UK-based charity, Oxfam condemned Israel's military offensive and its sweeping evacuation orders, which have pushed civilians into five overcrowded zones that now constitute less than 20 percent of Gaza's land.
Rather than a military strategy focused on combatants, Oxfam argued that Israel is executing 'a deliberate campaign to dismantle and depopulate Gaza,' calling the forced displacement a war crime under international law.
'For over 600 days, Israel has been saying it's targeting Hamas, but it is civilians who have been corralled, bombed and killed en masse every day,' said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's policy lead in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Khalidi described the mass displacement orders as part of 'a clear and calculated pattern: using the threat of violence to herd civilians into ever-shrinking zones of confinement.'
The group said the areas where Palestinians are being driven are dusty, overcrowded encampments lacking protection and frequently struck by Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its military footprint through five so-called 'security corridors' that now divide Gaza into isolated sections.
'This isn't counterterrorism, as Israel alleges – it's the systematic clearing of Gaza through militarized force into enclaves of internment,' Oxfam stated.
The organization urged international actors to go beyond statements of concern and apply real pressure on Israel to lift the blockade and end the displacement of Gaza's civilian population.
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