MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 8, 2025 /CNW/ - Islamic Relief Canada expresses grave concern over the latest developments in Gaza, as Israel's newly approved plan to take full military control of Gaza City marks a dramatic escalation of an already devastating crisis. This move threatens to deepen the humanitarian catastrophe and accelerate the forced displacement and starvation of an already besieged population.

With more than 200,000 people killed or injured since the start of the massacre, and the International Court of Justice having already found a plausible case of genocide in Gaza, the international community is at a crossroads. Despite the ICJ's ruling and the clear provisional measures it outlined, violations persist with impunity — and rather than complying, Israel is escalating its actions, challenging the very credibility of the international rules-based order.

Our teams are on the ground in Gaza, witnessing the horrific impact of ongoing restrictions, bombardment, and hunger. In northern Gaza, including Gaza City, famine-level starvation is already a daily reality. In the past few days, we were able to distribute hot meals and provide water, first-aid, and psychological support for children in Gaza City, but this is just a drop in the ocean, compared to the extent and urgency of the needs. Between May and July alone, child malnutrition has nearly quadrupled. Our staff report seeing children who are nothing but skin and bones — wasting away as aid is systematically blocked.

While Canadian officials have reiterated the importance of humanitarian access and the protection of civilians, we are collectively not doing nearly enough. The international response must go far beyond statements of concern. Air-dropped food supplies, though symbolically important, are wholly insufficient and often dangerous — both for the civilians below and for the delivery of sustained, organized relief.

This crisis cannot be solved through the expansion of military operations, which will result in further starvation, mass displacement, and blocked aid corridors — deepening a humanitarian nightmare that is already unprecedented.

Islamic Relief Canada urgently calls on the Government of Canada and the international community to:

• Demand a full ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access;
  
  
• Publicly oppose the further military escalation and occupation of Gaza;
  
  
• Insist on immediate compliance with the ICJ's provisional measures;
  
  
• Reaffirm and protect the right of Palestinians to remain on their land.

With 88% of Gaza now declared off-limits to its own population, and growing evidence of forced displacement, the threat of ethnic cleansing is no longer theoretical — it is unfolding in real time.

The world must not look away. We urge all Canadians to raise their voices, demand accountability, and support life-saving humanitarian work on the ground.

SOURCE Islamic Relief Canada