Palestinain Territory - The horrific massacre carried out by Israeli forces in the Al-Shuja'iyya neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, marks a clear escalation in the ongoing genocide and a blatant denial of the Palestinian people's right to life in the Gaza Strip. The attack represents an explicit and deliberate attempt to completely erase the Palestinian presence in Gaza.
Euro-Med Monitor's field team documented that at approximately 9:28 a.m. on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, Israeli warplanes launched multiple airstrikes using highly destructive bombs on a densely populated residential block on Baghdad Street in the Al-Shuja'iyya neighbourhood. The attack led to the complete destruction of around ten homes, with residents still inside, resulting in the deaths of over 35 civilians and injuries to more than 50 others.
Preliminary reports indicate that dozens of people remain trapped under the rubble. Although civil defence teams were able to rescue some individuals using basic tools, rescue operations had to be suspended by evening due to the extreme dangers facing emergency workers in the targeted area.
Although civil defence teams were able to rescue some individuals using basic tools, rescue operations had to be suspended by evening due to the extreme dangers facing emergency workers in the targeted area
Euro-Med Monitor's team also documented distress calls from individuals trapped beneath the debris, pleading for help and directing rescuers to their locations. Despite the urgent need for heavy equipment to clear the rubble and reach survivors, rescue efforts relied entirely on primitive methods and manual tools. Some victims died from suffocation or untreated injuries due to delays in the rescue operations.
In addition to the massacre, Israeli warplanes bombed another house in the same neighbourhood, killing five more civilians and injuring several others. This strike was part of a broader assault on Al-Shuja'iyya that began at dawn the previous Thursday with the detonation of an explosive-laden robot, followed by widespread aerial bombardment and forced displacement orders. The assault remains ongoing.
Israeli military sources attempted to justify the massacre by claiming it targeted a 'Hamas military commander'—a recurring narrative used to Justify the deliberate mass killing of civilians as part of a broader campaign of genocide in Gaza. Israel consistently repeats the same claim whenever global public opinion turns against its actions—alleging that it was targeting 'militants'—to justify attacks on civilians. However, it fails to provide any verifiable evidence or permit independent bodies to assess the validity of these claims.
Making such claims does not absolve Israel of its obligations under international law, including the duty to conduct effective investigations, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide redress to victims. Nor does it relieve other states of their legal responsibilities to investigate, ensure accountability, and pursue justice for victims. The automatic acceptance of Israel's unsupported claims effectively grants it a blank cheque to continue targeting civilians under a false legal pretext—ultimately undermining the integrity and effectiveness of the international legal system.
Even if a combatant were present or passing through the area, it would not justify the brutal massacres nor absolve Israel of its binding legal obligations under international humanitarian law. These obligations include adherence to the principles of humanity, distinction, military necessity, proportionality, and precaution—all of which must be upheld in the planning and execution of any military operation, without exception. This includes decisions regarding the methods and means of warfare, which must be designed to minimise civilian casualties and harm.
The details of the massacre—particularly the extensive destruction and high civilian death toll—leave no doubt that Israeli forces blatantly disregarded fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. The attack targeted a densely populated civilian area, predominantly affecting children, using highly destructive weapons. It was executed without distinction between military and civilian targets, and without taking the necessary precautions to prevent or minimise civilian harm. Taken together, these circumstances strongly indicate that the attack was coordinated and deliberately directed at civilians, affirming the unlawful nature of the operation and qualifying it as a grave international crime warranting prosecution and full accountability.
The mass killing of Palestinians has been normalised, eliciting nothing but silence, as though Israel can openly and without fear of moral or legal repercussions take Palestinian civilian lives. This grim reality appears to have been implicitly accepted by the international community.
The international community's tolerance of this ongoing pattern of crimes is not merely a moral failure—it constitutes a serious breach of both state and international legal obligations. This tolerance effectively transforms the mass killing of Palestinians from a criminal act into a publicly executed policy. In this context, global silence amounts to a direct failure to uphold the legal duty to prevent and punish genocide, as mandated by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Israel's method of killing reflects a clear and deliberate policy to eradicate Palestinian civilians throughout the Gaza Strip. It spreads fear, deprives people of shelter and even momentary stability, forces repeated displacement, and imposes deadly living conditions. This is further compounded by ongoing bombardments across the Strip, including attacks on areas designated as 'humanitarian zones' and the targeted destruction of shelters, many of which are located within UNRWA facilities.
All countries, both individually and collectively, must fulfil their legal obligations and act urgently to stop the genocide in the Gaza Strip in all its forms. They must take all practical measures to protect Palestinian civilians. Euro-Med Monitor emphasises the need to ensure Israel's compliance with international law and the rulings of the International Court of Justice and to guarantee accountability for its crimes against the Palestinian people. Furthermore, the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against the Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defence must be executed at the earliest opportunity, and the Court must be allowed to bring them to international justice.
The international community must immediately impose economic, diplomatic, and military sanctions on Israel in response to its systematic and grave violations of international law. These sanctions should include a ban on the export and import of weapons involving Israel; the suspension of all political, financial, and military support or cooperation; the freezing of financial assets belonging to individuals responsible for crimes against Palestinians; and the imposition of travel bans on those individuals. Additionally, any trade privileges and bilateral agreements that provide Israel with economic advantages enabling the continuation of its actions in Gaza must be suspended without delay.
Finally, all relevant states and entities must hold complicit governments accountable—foremost among them the United States—along with other nations that provide Israel with direct or indirect support in carrying out its crimes. Any form of assistance or collaboration with Israel's military, intelligence, political, legal, financial, or media sectors contributes to the continuation of atrocities against the Palestinian people.
