The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a report on Tuesday that Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza have destroyed the health system in the Palestinian enclave and raised serious concerns about the country’s compliance with international law.
The 23-page report, which documents various attacks between October 12, 2023 and June 30, 2024, concluded that since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the conduct of hostilities in Gaza had… Serious consequences for civilians. Palestinians’ access to medical care.
She added, “The destruction of Gaza’s health care system and the scale of deaths of patients, staff, and other civilians in these attacks is a direct result of ignoring international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”
An Israeli raid led to the closure of a major hospital in Gaza on Friday, the World Health Organization said. Kamal Adwan Hospital was the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza, and WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris says this “essential” lifeline for local Palestinians has ended.
An Israeli delegate to the United Nations describes the report’s data as fabricated
Daniel Meron, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, described the report’s data as fabricated. He said on the “X” program that Israel operates in accordance with international law and will never target innocent civilians, and accused Hamas of using Gaza hospitals in what he called “terrorist activity.”
The Israeli army accused Hamas of using hospitals as command centers for military operations, and said that people detained by Israel in the facilities were suspected of being activists.
The UN report hinted at such arguments, but said that not enough information had been published to prove them.
In the past few days, Israel has carried out operations against hospitals in Gaza, drawing criticism from the head of the World Health Organization and others.
The report said that deliberate attacks against hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are located – provided they are not military targets – would be war crimes.
It also warned that the systematic pattern of human rights violations against civilians could constitute crimes against humanity.
Israel has consistently rejected such proposals.
“Death trap”
The Israeli government said in its response to its report that its military had taken wide-ranging measures to mitigate civilian damage and reduce disruption, including providing aid, evacuation routes and establishing field hospitals, the UN said.
“As if the constant bombing and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza were not enough, the only refuge where Palestinians should have felt safe has in fact become a death trap,” Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.
Hamas led an attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 to Gaza on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli statistics.
Palestinian health officials say more than 45,500 Palestinians were killed in the subsequent Israeli war on Gaza.
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