Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza have devastated the Palestinian enclave’s health system and raised serious concerns about the country’s compliance with international law, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday. in a report.
The 23-page report, documenting various attacks between October 12, 2023 and June 30, 2024, concludes that since the attack carried out by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, the conduct of hostilities in Gaza has had serious consequences for Access Palestinians to medical care.
“The destruction of the health system in Gaza and the scale of the deaths of patients, staff and other civilians in these attacks are a direct consequence of the disregard for international humanitarian law and human rights,” he said. he declared.
An Israeli raid closed a major hospital in Gaza on Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced. Kamal Adwan Hospital was the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza, and WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said this “essential” lifeline for local Palestinians had disappeared.
Israeli UN representative calls report data fabricated
Daniel Meron, Israel’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, called the report’s data fabricated. He said on X that Israel operated in accordance with international law, would never target innocent civilians, and accused Hamas of using Gaza hospitals for what he called “terrorist activities.”
The Israeli military accused Hamas of using the hospitals as command centers for military operations and said those detained by Israel at the facilities were suspected militants.
The U.N. report alludes to such arguments, but says too little information has been made public to support them.
Israel has carried out operations against hospitals in Gaza in recent days that have drawn criticism from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), among others.
The report states that deliberate attacks on hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are located – provided they are not military objectives – would constitute war crimes.
He also warned that a systemic trend of violations of civilians’ rights could amount to crimes against humanity.
Israel has always rejected such suggestions.
“A death trap”
The UN said that in response to its report, the Israeli government said its military had taken extensive measures to mitigate harm to civilians and minimize disruption, including providing aid and relief routes. evacuation and setting up field hospitals.
In a statement, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “As if the incessant bombings and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza were not enough, the only sanctuary where Palestinians should feeling safe has actually become a death trap. »
Hamas carried out an attack in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 in Gaza on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli counts.
More than 45,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials.
