- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has condemned Israeli military attacks on Gaza hospitals in a 23-page report.
- At least 136 strikes were carried out on 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities in Gaza, resulting in significant casualties among medical personnel and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure.
- The report stresses that intentionally directing attacks against hospitals and places treating the sick and wounded is a war crime and the deliberate destruction of healthcare facilities could amount to collective punishment, also a war crime.
- The report raises concerns about the discovery of three mass graves at the Al Shifa Medical Complex, with at least 80 corpses retrieved, some with medical equipment still attached.
- The UN is calling for immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its actions and to provide humanitarian aid to the suffering population of Gaza, including independent investigations and the restoration of the medical capacity destroyed in the conflict.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has condemned the Israeli military attacks on the hospitals of Gaza in its recent report.
The 23-page report, authored by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, details the systematic destruction of the healthcare system of Gaza from October 2023 to July 2024. The report specifically cites the recent destruction of Kama Adwan Hospital in North Gaza, the last functioning major healthcare facility in the region.
Following the Israeli military raid on the hospital, staff and patients were forced to flee or were taken into custody, with numerous reports of torture and ill-treatment. The director of the hospital has been taken into custody, and his fate remains unknown. (Related: WHO describes scene at Gaza hospitals as "UNBEARABLE.")
According to the OHCHR report, at least 136 strikes were carried out on 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities during the reporting period, resulting in significant casualties among medical personnel and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure. The report stresses that intentionally directing attacks against hospitals and places treating the sick and wounded, unless they are military objectives, constitutes a war crime. The deliberate destruction of healthcare facilities could also amount to collective punishment, which is also a war crime.
The report also notes that Israel has alleged that Palestinian armed groups were using hospitals for military purposes, but insufficient evidence has been provided to substantiate these claims. If verified, this would raise serious concerns about the use of civilian presence to shield combatants from attack, which would be a war crime.
These impacts extend beyond physical destruction. The dire situation for women, especially pregnant women, who have given birth with no or minimal pre- and post-natal care, increases the risk of preventable maternal and child mortality.
The report also details the discovery of three mass graves at the Al Shifa Medical Complex, following Israeli military raids in November 2023 and March 2024. At least 80 corpses were retrieved, some with medical equipment still attached, raising serious concerns about possible crimes under international law.
"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," Turk said. "The protection of hospitals during warfare is paramount and must be respected by all sides, at all times."
Turk: Israel must be held accountable for its actions against Gazans
Israel has defended its actions by claiming that Gaza hospitals are used as command centers for Hamas military operations. However, the UN report notes that Israel has failed to provide any evidence to substantiate these claims.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 45,500 Palestinians, widespread destruction of infrastructure and the displacement of almost the entire population, with many being forced from their homes multiple times. The report also draws attention to the alarming rhetoric within the Israeli government, with some ministers and Knesset members openly advocating for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza to pave the way for Jewish settlement.
In light of these findings, the UN is calling for immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its actions and to provide humanitarian aid to the suffering population of Gaza.
"It is essential that there be independent, thorough and transparent investigations of all of these incidents and full accountability for all violations of international humanitarian and human rights law which have taken place. All medical workers arbitrarily detained must be immediately released," Turk wrote.
"It must also be a priority for Israel, as the occupying power, to ensure and facilitate access to adequate healthcare for the Palestinian population and for future recovery and reconstruction efforts to prioritize the restoration of the medical capacity which has been destroyed over the last 14 months of intense conflict."
Visit IsraelCollapse.com for more stories about the consequences of Israel's war on Gaza.
Watch Israeli artillery claim one life and hurt several people at Mubarak Hospital.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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