London, 23rd March 2026 – The United Nation’s Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel (“the Commission”), has called for submissions to inform reports that will be presented to the Human Rights Council during its 62nd Session and to the General Assembly during its 81st Session.
In response to this call, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has submitted evidence to the Commission, focussing specifically on killings and incidents of serious bodily or mental harm linked to the distribution of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. The evidence submitted includes first-hand witness testimony from medical professionals present in Gaza.
Since October 2023, Palestinians in Gaza have endured an ongoing genocide, an Israeli-manufactured humanitarian crisis marked by the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and severe restrictions on access to essential aid like food, shelter, and medicine.
Evidence collected by ICJP demonstrates that Israeli aerial strikes and ground invasions have deliberately damaged or destroyed key infrastructure, including but not limited to water and sanitation systems, roads, food supply, banking services, medical infrastructure, and educational facilities. This is an intentional tactic deployed by Israel to make Gaza incompatible with human life in order to forcibly transfer the Palestinian population from their land.
Since the beginning of the genocide, ICJP has been documenting systematic incidents of civilian harm in Gaza, building a timeline based on multi-source verification, including first-hand testimonies from medical professionals, photographs, videos and open-source evidence. By compiling these accounts, ICJP has been able to identify recurring patterns of violence, injury, and harm connected to the distribution of humanitarian aid, as well as the impact of attacks on civilian areas.
Medical testimonies from 2024 and 2025 collected by ICJP describe repeated incidents in which Palestinians attempting to access humanitarian aid were exposed to live fire, mass-casualty events, and attacks on aid convoys. Gunshot wounds, shrapnel injuries, crush injuries, and harm from unsafe aid delivery methods, such as heavy airdropped packages or dangerous sea retrievals, were frequently reported across multiple locations in Gaza.
One report says that hospitals were “filled beyond capacity, with patients lying on floors due to overcrowding”, exposing how aid-related harm occurs in a context of overcrowding, degraded infrastructure. Surgeons reported performing numerous emergency operations under extreme conditions, often without adequate resources or pain control.
Beyond physical injuries, ICJP’s evidence highlights severe psychological trauma among civilians and healthcare workers. Witnesses consistently described the erosion of human dignity, with Palestinians forced to risk their lives for basic food, water, and medical care. Children were particularly affected; accounts include adolescents and young children sustaining fatal injuries while attempting to reach aid.
ICJP’s analysis identifies multiple consistent patterns:
- Repeated use of live fire at distribution points and along aid routes.
- Mass-casualty events linked to aid sites that repeatedly overwhelmed hospitals.
- Obstruction or targeting of aid convoys and humanitarian organisations.
- Recurrent injury types and wound profiles connected to aid-related incidents.
- Harm caused by unsafe aid delivery modalities, including airdrops, sea retrieval, and restricted access conditions.
ICJP’s detailed compilation of evidence provides critical documentation of the human consequences of Israeli attacks on Palestinians and humanitarian operations. By highlighting recurring patterns, the scale of harm, and the direct and indirect impacts on civilians and aid workers, ICJP’s submission underscores the urgent need for accountability for serious violations of International Humanitarian Law and protection of life in Gaza.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1. 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.
2. For more information, to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, or to view a full copy of the letter, please contact the ICJP news desk at [email protected].
Photo Credit: Jaber Jehad Badwan, Wikimedia Commons
