On December 18, the United Nations General Assembly declared this day as International Migrants Day, taking into account the large and growing numbers of migrants worldwide. On this same day, the General Assembly had adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Migration is often a decision made by individuals for economic, social, or academic reasons, while others migrate due to the impacts of climate change and other natural and environmental factors.
However, in Palestine, migration is not a choice but a forced imposition. Palestinians are compelled to migrate forcibly, fleeing conflict, persecution, and human rights violations committed by the Israeli occupation for decades—against their land and their fundamental right to life.
The systematic policy of forced displacement practiced by the Israeli occupation is not new. For 75 years, Palestinians have been subjected to displacement by Zionist militias, dating back to the Nakba (Catastrophe) of 1948. This forced displacement is a continuation of the historical expulsions carried out by the Israeli occupation to fulfill its Zionist objectives, particularly its colonial settlement ideology.
Currently, the occupation is attempting to forcibly displace Palestinians from northern Gaza in the most brutal ways, turning the northern Gaza Strip into a closed military zone. Continuous Israeli airstrikes, along with land and sea bombardments across Gaza, have caused numerous civilian casualties and the destruction of residential buildings and vital civilian infrastructure.
For those unable to flee, they either die under the rubble of their homes or suffer severe injuries without access to medical assistance. Between October 7, 2023, and December 10, 2024, the Ministry of Health in Gaza, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), reported that at least 44,786 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, with 106,188 others injured.
Meanwhile, the United Nations reported that at least 1.9 million people—approximately 90% of Gaza's population—are forcibly displaced. Many of them have been repeatedly displaced, some more than ten times. Israel’s ultimate goal appears to be seizing all Palestinian lands and forcibly displacing their inhabitants.
Statements from Israeli officials confirm that the forced displacement in Gaza is deliberate and part of Israel’s state policy.
Forced displacement involves permanently or temporarily removing individuals from their lands against their will, without providing legal protection or necessary alternatives. This constitutes a war crime and a crime of genocide under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness) calls for an international investigation into the crimes of forced displacement. It urges the international community to impose sanctions on Israel until these violations cease. Additionally, it advocates for ending the ongoing displacement of Palestinians by enabling them to exercise their right to return effectively and achieving an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
The Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness)