Interpal’s statement on the latest attacks in Gaza

We are horrified by Israel’s renewed bombardment of Gaza, which has shattered the fragile ceasefire and killed at least 413 Palestinians overnight, including many children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The true toll is likely even higher, with many still trapped beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings.

This escalation comes just two months after a temporary ceasefire was reached. However, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 150 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since January 19—an average of three lives lost per day—demonstrating that the violence never truly stopped. Now, in the deadliest attack yet, Israel has entirely collapsed the ceasefire, plunging Palestinians back into relentless assault.

Beyond the devastating airstrikes, new forced displacement orders have been issued, pushing families once again from their homes and shelters. The total siege on aid—now in its third week—has cut off food, water, and medical supplies, leaving people on the brink of starvation. Gaza’s health system, systematically dismantled by military attacks since October 2023, is barely functioning, unable to provide adequate care for the hundreds of injured.

For a brief moment, Palestinians in Gaza had the chance to grieve, to return to what remained of their homes, and to breathe. Now, they are being forced to relive horror all over again. The scale of destruction is unimaginable. Hospitals are overwhelmed, medical supplies are running out, and families are once more being displaced with nowhere safe to go. The world cannot remain silent while Palestinians endure yet another wave of atrocities.

This latest assault has targeted starved, besieged, and defenseless families. It follows more than two weeks of Israel’s total blockade on humanitarian aid, in clear violation of international humanitarian law and the Provisional Measures issued by the International Court of Justice, which called for increased aid flows.

Hundreds of thousands remain displaced, their homes reduced to rubble. Many have only tents for shelter, exposed to explosive weapons designed for wide-scale destruction. Children, the most vulnerable, suffer the worst. Their lighter bodies are thrown further by blasts, their softer bones are more prone to long-term deformities, and their smaller blood volume makes even minor injuries life-threatening when emergency services cannot reach them. Those who survive face a future without adequate medical care or even basic pain relief due to ongoing restrictions on medical supplies and fuel for hospitals.

This cannot be the world’s response. When children are slaughtered en masse, humanity’s moral and legal foundations crumble. We have seen it with our own eyes: the only way to protect children and families, as international law requires, is through a ceasefire. This time, it must be permanent—Palestinians cannot be forced to live under the constant threat of war.

Even in war, there are laws. Civilians must be actively protected, and every effort must be made to prevent civilian casualties. No military justification can excuse atrocity crimes. The international community must act now—fully and without selective enforcement—to uphold international law. Anything less is not just a failure; it is a complete abandonment of legal and moral duty. If the world does not act now, we risk the annihilation of children and their futures.