Mass displacement order for Gaza City 'unlawful', 'inhumane': Amnesty
3 Min Read
Amnesty International denounces "Israel’s" mass displacement order for all of Gaza City, calling it part of a broader genocidal campaign against Palestinians.
-
Palestinians line up to receive donated food at a community kitchen in Deir al-Balah in southern Gaza on September 6, 2025 (AP)
Amnesty International has condemned the mass displacement order issued by the Israeli military on September 9, against the entirety of Gaza City, calling it "unlawful", "inhumane", and "indicative of genocidal intent." The order comes as "Israel" escalates its military assault on the city, further endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians already enduring extreme conditions.
The evacuation order mirrors the October 13, 2023, directive for all of North Gaza, which led to the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands. Since then, many residents have been trapped in a cycle of repeated evacuations, homelessness, and insecurity under siege conditions.
Mounting civilian suffering amid forced evacuation
The impact of this new order has been immediate and devastating. Many families report being unable to flee due to financial constraints or lack of transport. Others are too sick, injured, or vulnerable to evacuate without assistance. The designated evacuation zones remain overcrowded, unsanitary, and unsafe.
Amnesty International has collected first-hand testimonies that highlight the impossible choices Palestinians are being forced to make:
A healthcare worker treating malnourished children described the agony of choosing between continuing care and fleeing bombardment, while another woman said her son carried her due to her disabilities. "Where do we go? We have no money, no transport, and nowhere to sleep.”
A grandmother caring for her injured granddaughter, orphaned in an airstrike, expressed feeling "tired of reliving this nightmare."
'Deliberate campaign to destroy Palestinian life'
In a scathing condemnation, Heba Morayef, Amnesty's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, described "Israel’s" actions in Gaza as part of a deliberate and systematic effort to destroy Palestinian life.
She described it as "cruel, unlawful," and furthering of genocidal conditions that "Israel" is inflicting.
According to Morayef, the mass displacement of Gaza City’s besieged population marks a "inhuman repeat" of past atrocities and reflects "Israel’s" deliberate campaign to physically destroy Palestinians, enabled by continued international military and diplomatic support.
“Deplorably, companies and investors continue to profit from Israel’s genocide. States and companies that continue to arm Israel risk complicity in genocide. All those with influence over Israel must press for an immediate end to Israel’s genocidal campaign and full humanitarian access to Gaza’s civilians.”
Violation of international law, genocidal conditions
Amnesty International reiterated that forcibly displacing Palestinians within the Gaza Strip or deporting them constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The human rights group pointed to the combination of forced displacement, destruction of civilian infrastructure, denial of humanitarian access, and ongoing siege as evidence of deliberate conditions designed to bring about the destruction of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
"Israel’s" continued defiance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders, including those mandating protection and provision of aid to civilians, reinforces Amnesty’s claim that the intent behind such policies is genocidal in nature.
Amnesty urged the international community to:
- Pressure "Israel" to immediately rescind the evacuation order;
- Ensure full humanitarian access to all areas of the Gaza Strip;
- Halt all arms sales, military aid, and diplomatic support that could contribute to further atrocities;
- Hold corporations and governments accountable for any complicity in war crimes or genocide.
