The UN human rights office said Israeli attacks on hospitals and surrounding areas have brought Gaza’s health system “to the brink of complete collapse” and raised serious concerns about war crimes and crimes against humanity.
A new report describes a pattern in which Israeli forces attacked, surrounded and forcibly evacuated hospitals, leading to the death or killing of patients.
It acknowledged Israel’s claims that the hospital was being used by Palestinian militants, but called the evidence “ambiguous.”
The Israeli mission in Geneva said the report expressed the U.N. human rights office’s “political obsession with Israel” and “relies on information from Hamas health officials,” adding that the Israeli military He stressed that he had acted in accordance with international rules. and “never target innocent civilians.”
He added: “It is the murderous terrorist organization Hamas that uses civilians as human shields and hospitals for terrorist activities.”
This comes days after the last functioning hospital in besieged northern Gaza was raided by Israeli forces for being used as a Hamas command center.
Israel launched an operation to annihilate Hamas in response to Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 people dead and 251 hostages taken.
Since then, more than 45,500 people have been killed and 108,300 injured in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled region’s health ministry.
“As if the relentless bombing and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza weren’t enough, the only sanctuary Palestinians are supposed to be safe in is actually a place of death,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Tuesday. It became a trap.”
“Protection of hospitals during wartime is of paramount importance and must be respected by all sides at all times.”
The United Nations Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded at least 136 strikes against 27 of 38 hospitals in the Gaza Strip and 12 other health facilities during the period covered by the report (October 2023 to June 2024). It was announced that.
These airstrikes caused “significant casualties and injuries to doctors, nurses, medical personnel, and other civilians” and caused “significant damage, if not complete destruction, to civilian infrastructure.” the report added.
Medical personnel and hospitals are particularly protected under international humanitarian law, unless they go beyond their humanitarian role and do not perform, or are accustomed to performing, acts harmful to the enemy. Even then, any attack must adhere to the fundamental principles of differentiation, proportionality, and precaution in attack.
OHCHR said that deliberately attacking hospitals and other places where the sick and wounded are treated, intentionally attacking civilians, and intentionally launching unprovoked attacks are war crimes.
And, under certain circumstances, the intentional destruction of medical facilities could also amount to a form of collective punishment, which would also constitute a war crime.
In most cases of Israeli attacks on hospitals, Israel claims that the hospitals are being improperly used by Palestinian militants, according to the report.
“However, there is not enough information so far to substantiate these claims, which remain vague, broad and, in some cases, appear to contradict publicly available information.” says the UN report.
“If these claims are verified, they raise serious concerns that Palestinian armed groups are deliberately using the presence of civilians to protect themselves from attack, which would amount to a war crime. ”
Hamas and medical officials deny that the hospital was used by militants.
The report also states that the impact of Israeli military operations in and around hospitals extends far beyond the physical structure.
“Many women give birth with no or minimal antenatal and postnatal care, increasing the risk of preventable maternal and child mortality,” the report said.
“OHCHR has received reports of a large number of newborn babies dying because their mothers were unable to attend postnatal check-ups or access medical facilities to deliver their babies.”
The report also states that people with traumatic injuries are being prevented from receiving timely and potentially life-saving treatment, with the Gaza Ministry of Health reporting that the number of hospital beds has decreased by 80% and Gaza has put more than 500 people in hospital. It noted that medical professionals had reported being killed. End of June.
“Reports indicate that many injured people died while waiting for hospitalization or treatment. Even those who were able to receive critical treatment, including surgery, were treated without proper bedding or equipment. However, due to lack of space, patients were often discharged midway through the process.
OHCHR quoted the Israeli government as saying in response to the report that the Israeli military had taken “extensive measures” to “reduce harm to civilians and minimize disruption to medical services.”
These include securing evacuation routes from hospitals, providing medical equipment, fuel and other assistance to keep hospitals functioning, and setting up field hospitals.
The Israeli government also said that Hamas had “systematically abused the protection of medical facilities” and “strategically embedded tunnel systems and infrastructure within the grounds of medical facilities, using them as weapons caches and accessible command centers.” He claimed that he had chosen to take advantage of it. Those agents.”
Mr Turk called for an independent investigation into the incidents described in the report and said: “Ensuring and promoting access to adequate healthcare for the Palestinian people must also be a priority for Israel as the occupying power. It must be done,” he said.
