A report released by the U.N. Human Rights Office on Tuesday criticized Israeli strikes on hospitals in Gaza, highlighting the significant damage inflicted on the health system of the Palestinian territory and raising serious questions regarding Israel’s adherence to international law.
The report, which details various assaults occurring between October 12, 2023, and June 30, 2024, indicated that these attacks have severely impacted Palestinians’ ability to receive medical care.
The 23-page document concluded that the hostilities in Gaza, following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, have effectively “devastated” the local healthcare infrastructure. It stated, “The obliteration of the healthcare system in Gaza, along with the extensive loss of life among patients, medical personnel, and other civilians during these assaults, is a direct result of the neglect of international humanitarian and human rights law.”
The Israeli military has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the report.
In recent days, Israel has carried out operations targeting hospitals in Gaza, which have faced backlash from figures such as the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). The Israeli military has claimed that Hamas utilizes hospitals as operational bases and that individuals detained at these facilities are suspected militants. While the U.N. report referenced these claims, it noted that insufficient evidence has been made public to support them.
The report indicated that intentionally targeting hospitals and locations housing the sick and injured, provided they are not military targets, would constitute war crimes. It also cautioned that a systematic pattern of human rights violations against civilians could amount to crimes against humanity. Israel has consistently dismissed such claims.
In response to the report, the U.N. noted that the Israeli government asserted its military had implemented extensive measures to reduce civilian harm and limit disruptions, including offering aid, establishing evacuation routes, and setting up field hospitals.
However, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, remarked that the findings of the report highlighted a “blatant disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law.” He stated, “As if the relentless bombing and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza were not enough, the one sanctuary where Palestinians should have felt safe in fact became a death trap.”
According to Palestinian health officials, Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has resulted in over 45,500 Palestinian deaths and has devastated the region. The conflict was ignited by a Hamas assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 251 hostages to Gaza, as reported by Israeli sources.
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