MEMO.The deliberate and highly organized destruction of entire Palestinian towns and neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army is a clear manifestation of the genocide that the occupying state has committed in Gaza over the past 14 months. This urbicide, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said in an online statement released on December 17, is a primary tool for carrying out the ongoing genocide.
“This crime was not limited to the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians or the gradual decimation of the elements critical to the survival of two million people,” the rights group said. “It extended to the complete annihilation of Palestinian cities, erasing their architectural and civil fabric.”
This systematic destruction aims to erase Palestinian national and cultural identity, impose permanent forced displacement, prevent people's return, dismantle communities and eradicate their collective memory. “It is a deliberate attempt to eliminate their physical and human existence by destroying their past, present and future.”
Information documented by the Euro-Med Monitor field team, together with testimonies from families forcibly displaced from northern Gaza, reveal that the Israeli occupation army has pursued, since its third ground attack on the northern Strip of Gaza on October 5, 2024, a policy of “global erasure and destruction” in the area.
Methods employed by the occupation army include demolition using robots and booby-trapped barrels, aerial bombardment with destructive devices, planting of remote demolition explosives, and destruction through Israeli military and civilian machinery.
Euro-Med Monitor explained that it had meticulously examined videos and photographs published by Israeli soldiers and media platforms. “Extensive aerial footage confirms the scale of the destruction inflicted on the northern Gaza Strip, with the Jabalia camp left completely in ruins, reduced to piles of rubble and impassable roads.”
The human rights group highlighted that entire areas, including Blocks 2, 3, 4 and 5, as well as Al-Alami, Al-Houja, Al-Falluja, Al-Tuwam and the northern suburbs of Al-Saftawi, are been completely annihilated. Similar devastation occurred in Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, leaving these once-thriving communities uninhabitable.
“The systematic and complete destruction of Palestinian towns and neighborhoods in northern Gaza – affecting homes, infrastructure, and civil and economic structures – has persisted for over 73 days (as of 5 October 2024). The pattern of devastation demonstrates that this is not a military necessity but serves the deliberate purpose of erasing Palestinian material and cultural presence.
“This constitutes a serious violation of international law.”
Israel's actions align with a broader policy of urbicide in which destruction targets not only Palestinian individuals and property, but also the erasure of their cultural and civilizational existence.
“The goal is to erase any material or historical trace that connects Palestinians to their land, thereby weakening their ability to remain and survive in their ancestral areas. Israeli government ministers, officials, Knesset members and settler organizations openly promote these actions as part of efforts to impose a new demographic and geographic reality, replacing the indigenous Palestinian population with Israeli settlers. This constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and requires immediate intervention, accountability and justice for the victims,” Euro-Med said.
The policy of urbicide is not limited to northern Gaza, he added. “Initial reports from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, together with satellite images and eyewitness accounts, indicate that large areas have been almost obliterated. Similar destruction devastated Khan Yunis, Shuja'iyya, Zeitoun and neighborhoods along the Netzarim axis. The destruction extends to homes, roads, infrastructure and essential civil, economic and cultural facilities, making these areas uninhabitable and systematically preventing the return of Palestinians.”
This urbicide is also linked to the ongoing crime of culturicide, which began on October 7, 2023. Since then, Israel has “deliberately targeted” Palestinian archaeological and cultural monuments in a clear attempt to erase Palestinian cultural heritage. “Euro-Med Monitor has documented dozens of cases in which the Israeli army targeted mosques, churches, historic buildings, museums, cultural centers and universities, all integral to Gaza's cultural identity.”
While previous Israeli military operations have destroyed key aspects of Gaza's rich architectural heritage, Euro-Med noted, the current assault represents its near-total destruction.
“Gaza's heritage belongs not only to the Palestinians, but also to all humanity. These sites have cultural and historical significance that transcends national borders, representing a shared global memory.” Euro-Med called on the international community to take urgent action to protect these sites, conduct impartial investigations into Israel's violations and put pressure on the occupying state to stop its systematic destruction.
“All states must fulfill their international responsibilities to stop the genocide and other grave crimes committed by Israel in Gaza. This includes imposing effective sanctions, ensuring compliance with international law and International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings, and blocking all forms of political, financial and military support for Israel. The immediate cessation of arms sales, transfers and military aid to Israel is essential, as well as enforcing accountability for crimes against Palestinians. The arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against the Israeli prime minister and now former defense minister must also be executed without delay.”
Furthermore, the rights group said, countries complicit in Israel's crimes – particularly the United States and others providing military, financial and political support – must also be held accountable. “This includes states engaged in intelligence sharing, contractual arrangements and other forms of collaboration that enable Israel's crimes.”
In closing, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor calls for immediate action to end this unprecedented destruction, bring justice to the victims and safeguard the shared heritage and dignity of humanity.
(Photo: A view of the destruction in the area following an Israeli attack on the house belonging to the al-Tabatibi family near Palestine Square in Gaza City, December 17, 2024 [Dawoud Abo Alkas – Anadolu Agency])
Translation for InfoPal by Lidia Salvatori
