In its report, the UN office analyzed Israel’s retaliatory military actions following the attack on Israel by Hamas and other armed groups on October 7, 2023. In this sequence, data on attacks carried out during the period 12 October 2023 to 30 June 2024 has been collected.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the place where Palestinians should have felt somewhat safe, suffering from constant bombings and a severe humanitarian crisis, has become a death trap for them. Medical personnel and hospitals are particularly protected under international humanitarian law.
He reiterated that ensuring the safety of hospitals during war is of utmost importance and should always be respected by all parties.
Just days before the study was published, the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza was closed after an Israeli military attack.
Subsequently, the trapped population of northern Gaza remains without access to proper health care services. Patients and health workers were forced to flee or were taken into custody. There have been reports of misbehavior with them. At the same time, no information about the hospital director has been received since his arrest.
War crimes, crimes against humanity
According to the report, around 136 attacks were carried out on at least 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities between October and June, injuring doctors, nurses, other medical personnel and civilians and causing extensive damage.
According to OHCHR, intentional attacks on civilians in hospitals or other places where the sick and wounded are being treated, as well as intentional attacks on persons not involved in violent conflict, can be classified as war crimes.
In some circumstances, the deliberate destruction of health care facilities may be considered collective punishment, which may constitute a war crime.
According to the report, if many such acts are systematically carried out on a large scale targeting the civilian population, it can be classified as a crime against humanity.
More than 500 medical workers died in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and the end of June 2024, according to the local health ministry.
Use of hospitals for military purposes
Israel has often alleged that Palestinian armed groups are using the hospitals for military purposes, although insufficient information has been provided to support these claims.
The UN office made clear that, if the Israeli army’s allegations are true, it would be a war crime by Palestinian armed groups taking advantage of the presence of civilians to defend themselves from attacks.
According to the UN office, the occupying power Israel has the responsibility to provide an adequate level of health care services to the Palestinian population.
According to the report, accountability must be determined in all cases of violations of international humanitarian law. In addition, restoration of medical capacity must be prioritized for future recovery and reconstruction efforts. In the last 14 months, it has been largely destroyed.