Israel intensified attacks on Gaza after release of US-Israeli soldier, rights group says

Since the release of American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander on 12 May, Israeli occupation forces have intensified their genocidal campaign in Gaza, killing an average of 81 Palestinians per day through direct bombardment, and a further 17 per day due to starvation and the denial of access to medical care and essential means of survival, Euro-Med Monitor said in a report today.

“This surge in lethal attacks is part of a broader escalation by the Israeli military, marked by a scorched-earth policy and the systematic destruction of Gaza’s remaining residential areas and infrastructure. The ongoing campaign—now in its 19th month—has been characterised by mass killings, enforced starvation, and the deliberate dismantling of life-sustaining systems, with the explicit aim of eradicating the Palestinian population in Gaza and eliminating any possibility of return or reconstruction,” the rights group explained.

Field documentation reveals that between 12 and 18 May, 564 Palestinians were killed by direct strikes, while 122 others died from deliberate starvation and lack of medical treatment. Additionally, 1,386 civilians were injured during this period, averaging approximately 233 injuries per day.

During the same period, the Israeli military issued at least ten new evacuation orders, primarily targeting northern Gaza, western Gaza City, and the eastern areas of Deir Al-Balah and Al-Qarara. These orders resulted in the forced displacement of approximately 300,000 people, most of whom were families that had already been displaced multiple times since the beginning of the assault.

“These orders were issued without providing safe corridors or alternative destinations, amid the collapse of shelter capacity, depletion of relief supplies, and destruction of essential facilities,” Euro-Med said.

The continued bombardment of both new and previously established displacement areas has transformed displacement into a mechanism of slow death rather than survival—a strategy aimed at emptying entire regions and dismantling the Palestinian civilian presence in preparation for full-scale removal.

The humanitarian conditions for the forcibly displaced have become “catastrophic and degrading”, it warned. Tens of thousands of civilians, including children, women, the elderly, and the sick, are now forced to sleep rough on the ground, exposed to the scorching sun or amidst rubble, without access to clean water, sufficient food, or healthcare. This “dire situation”, it explained, leaves them at risk of death from starvation, illness, or further air strikes.

“Despite the hopes raised by the release of American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, which was expected to pave the way for a ceasefire and facilitate the effective entry of humanitarian aid, the reality has been quite the opposite. The pace of killings has intensified, no aid has been allowed in, and the international community remains silent.”

“In Gaza today, civilians are succumbing to hunger, with most families now surviving on a single meagre meal every one or two days—a situation that exemplifies the systematic use of starvation as a weapon of genocide.”

It called on states to “fulfil their legal responsibilities by taking urgent action to stop the genocide in the Gaza Strip”, implement effective measures to protect Palestinian civilians; ensuring Israel’s compliance with international law and the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ); and holding Israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinians.