London, 10th October 2025 – On the 7th of October 2023, Israel launched a military campaign on Gaza that would change the course of history forever. Gaza, the world’s largest open-air prison, has been turned into a desolate land in the aftermath of a two-year-long genocide, marking the most catastrophic assault on Palestinian life since the Nakba of 1948.
734 days of genocide come to a pause today. However, a previously-agreed ceasefire that came into effect on the 15th of January 2025 was effectively breached by Israel on the 18th of March 2025 in an airstrike that killed at least 404 Palestinians as they slept in their tents. Back in March, Israel reaffirmed its disregard for abiding by a ceasefire, international law, and the lives of Palestinians, so today we ask: what, if anything, has changed?
Over the course of two years, Israeli strikes have obliterated all vital infrastructure in Gaza including, among other things, healthcare; water and sanitation; education; financial infrastructure; and roads, creating conditions that make life in Gaza nearly impossible. Further still, Israel has killed more than 67,139 Palestinians, 20,000 of them children, and 1,722 health and aid workers.
While a ceasefire may bring a stop to the immediate Israeli atrocities in Gaza, it cannot be considered an accomplishment without ensuring that accountability is upheld, complicity in international crimes is brought to an end, humanitarian relief is allowed to flow into Gaza unhindered, and that Palestinians are afforded their right to self-determination.
After two years of Israeli genocide in Gaza, an immediate end to the relentless atrocities against the Palestinian people is long overdue. While a ceasefire might bring a temporary halt to present Israeli atrocities, it does not erase the deliberate damage Israel has imposed upon Palestinians — nor should it be allowed to overshadow the gravity of the suffering they have endured.
It is essential that this deal ensures Israel is forced to follow through on releasing the thousands of unlawfully detained Palestinians currently in Israeli custody; allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza unhindered; and end its apartheid, colonial regime.
For the past two years, ICJP has been documenting the genocide, collating an extensive database of evidence from medical professionals and first-hand victims. This evidence is now more important than ever, especially in holding those responsible for this genocide to account. If we are to ensure that another genocide does not take place and that Palestinians are afforded any type of justice, key Israeli figures, those in the military from the top to the bottom of the chain of command, complicit Western politicians and officials, including financial institutions that have provided either moral or material support to Israel, need to be held accountable.
We will continue coordinating and supporting legal work in the UK and other jurisdictions to ensure that criminal actions have consequences. This is now our responsibility — no more unchecked impunity for egregious violations of international law.
Today, Palestinians in Gaza and across the globe are living with simultaneous relief and unimaginable devastation. From the Nakba to this modern genocide, what remains amongst the rubble in Gaza is the steadfastness of its people, stories of survivors, irreparable loss, and questions about our collective consciousness and humanity that remain at a crossroads, imploring us to ensure: never again.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
- Contact the ICJP press team at [email protected].
Image: Fars Media Corporation via Wikimedia Commons
