OIC: 87% of the Gaza Strip faces regional forced displacement

The OIC Media Observatory on Israeli Crimes against Palestinians has reported a significant escalation in the Israeli military's targeting of educational institutions that are currently providing refuge to displaced populations, particularly in the northern Gaza Strip. Between December 10 and 17, 2024, an unprecedented series of attacks was documented, with seven schools being targeted within a single week. Among these were three schools specifically housing displaced individuals: The Holy Family School, the Glorious Wasila School, and Jaffa School, all located in northern Gaza City. Additionally, Awida School in Beit Hanoun and Ahmed Abdel Aziz School in Khan Yunis were bombed, along with a school operated by the UNRWA in the same area. The assault extended to a school in Beit Lahia, where the displaced were forcibly expelled. It included the demolition of structures in northern Gaza, as well as the municipal building in Deir al-Balah. Furthermore, the Observatory reported a total of 26 massacres committed by occupation forces during this timeframe, particularly in the Nuseirat refugee camp and amongst the displaced populations in Khan Yunis.

The systematic targeting of these schools appears to serve a dual purpose: to instill fear among the displaced who have sought shelter there and to facilitate their coerced relocation. Concurrently, the Israeli authorities have issued 66 orders for forced displacement across various regions of the Gaza Strip, which cover approximately 87% of the territory and affect around 150 residential neighborhoods. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs corroborates that an estimated 80% of the Strip remains subjected to these displacements.

In the context of suppressing dissent and concealing their crimes, the occupying forces executed journalists Muhammad Balousha and Ahmed Al-Louh. Additionally, two weeks prior, they also killed journalist Mamdouh Qunaita.

The organization's observatory reported a total of 272 martyrs within the Gaza Strip over the course of the past week, along with 845 reported injuries. Cumulatively, since the onset of Israeli attacks on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian martyr count has escalated to 45,840, with injuries soaring to 113,212.

In the West Bank and occupied Al-Quds, Israeli occupation forces have resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians during this timeframe. Additionally, 185 individuals have been arrested, and directives have been issued for land confiscation in the Abu Dis area of Al-Quds and other regions behind the separation barrier in Salfit. This includes the appropriation of 54.79 dunams from the municipalities of Qatanna and Biddu, primarily for street expansion linked to the “Gush Etzion” settlement, as well as further land acquisitions in the KhalletSemaan area to facilitate the establishment of a bus station for settlers.

Moreover, the occupation forces have demolished 12 residential structures across Al-Quds, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Nablus. Settler activity has also been marked by the seizure of a residence in Silwan, Al-Quds. The Israeli military has undertaken the destruction of two water wells, disrupted the electricity grid, and demolished 15 agricultural barns and a warehouse in Nablus, Salfit, and Al-Quds. Agricultural lands and crops have been bulldozed, and irrigation systems near Hebron, Nablus, and Jericho have also been destroyed. Furthermore, equipment including a bulldozer and an agricultural tractor in Ramallah, along with a roller and a water tank in Hebron, has been confiscated.

In Al-Arroub camp, Hebron, Israeli forces encircled Al-Arroub Secondary School for Boys, barring student entry before proceeding to evacuate the premises. Additionally, the administration of Awarta Secondary School for Boys was evacuated, and a raid occurred at Jaba Secondary School for Girls. The operation extended to include raids on both Hebron University and Polytechnic University within the city.