Jeddah, March 18, 2025: The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) joins the international community in condemning the renewed aggression by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, in breach of the ceasefire, which reportedly has killed over 400 innocent Palestinians including women and children. The unprovoked targeted massacre of the innocent non-combatant civilians, and that too during the holy month of Ramadan, tantamount to war crimes and crimes against humanity and grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.
The Commission highlighted that the latest attack has breached the ceasefire which could lead to further hostilities which is part of systematic targeting of civilians infrastructure meant to inflict mass causalities and genocide of the Palestinians. The Israeli occupation forces continued and systematic targeting of civilian, including women, children and relief trucks in Gaza, has resulted in the killing of more than 48,000 civilians so far which include 18,000 children. Till now, the Israeli attacks on Gaza has led to the enforced displacement of over 1.9 million Palestinians, constituting 90% of the population of the Gaza Strip[1].
The Commission holds the Israeli occupation forces fully responsible and accountable for this unprecedented human tragedy against civilians in the Gaza Strip, in blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions and relevant provisions of International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Law, and all international and humanitarian norms. Under international humanitarian law, civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals are protected civilian objects, and therefore cannot be targeted due to humanitarian principles of distinction and proportionality.
The Commission reaffirmed its resolve to continue to monitor and document the grave human rights violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It also stressed the need to intensify efforts to achieve legal accountability for these Israeli crimes in international justice.
The Commission, while reaffirming its full support for the inalienable right to self-determination of the  Palestinian people, expressed its firm determination to strengthen cooperation with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as with treaty bodies, mechanisms, and other UN special procedures to assume their respective responsibilities to ensure accountability of the serious human rights violations committed by the Israeli occupation regime against the Palestinian people. The Commission urges the United Nations and relevant human rights bodies to take urgent and concrete measures to: (a) hold perpetrators accountable for their war crimes and ensure justice for victims; (b) prevent forced displacement and uphold the rights of Palestinians to live in their homeland in dignity freedom and security; (c) ensure immediate humanitarian assistance to alleviate the dire humanitarian catastrophe faced by the people of Gaza; (d) pressurize Israel for cessation of all hostilities against innocent Palestinians and respect the cease fire.
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[1] https://www.unrwa.org/resources/reports/unrwa-situation-report-157-situation-gaza-strip-and-west-bank-including-east-jerusale