According to investigators from the United Nations, Israel is intentionally targeting medical facilities in Gaza, leading to the deaths and torture of healthcare workers, which they describe as “crimes against humanity.”
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In a recent statement, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry claimed, “Israel has enacted a coordinated strategy aimed at dismantling Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure as part of a more extensive campaign against the region.”
The report alleged that Israel is “engaging in war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination through persistent and intentional assaults on healthcare workers and facilities.”
This three-member commission, set up by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021, is tasked with investigating possible breaches of international law in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. This report marks the second publication since Hamas initiated attacks on October 7, 2022, which triggered the ongoing conflict.
In response, Israel has accused the commission of “consistent anti-Israeli bias” and has categorically dismissed the findings from its earlier June report, which similarly charged Israel with crimes against humanity, including the crime of “extermination” in Gaza.
‘Shocking devastation of healthcare’
Commission chair Navi Pillay, a former UN human rights chief, asserted, “Israel must put a halt to its unprecedented and rampant devastation of healthcare facilities in Gaza.”
She added that the actions taken by Israel “directly infringe upon the right to health, which will have serious and lasting repercussions for the civilian population.”
The report highlights the Israeli security forces’ specific actions in Gaza, stating they “deliberately killed, detained, and tortured medical personnel while also attacking medical transport.” Furthermore, it revealed that permits for medical treatment outside of the territory have been severely restricted.
These behaviors, according to the commission, represent multiple war crimes and the crime of extermination against humanity.
Israel’s conduct, the report stated, has inflicted “immeasurable suffering” on child patients and threatens the fabric of Palestinian society, potentially leading to the destruction of generations of Palestinian youth.
The tragic story of Hind Rajab is a focal point in the report, underscoring the human cost of ongoing violence. In January, the young girl made a desperate call to the Palestinian Red Crescent for help after her family’s vehicle came under fire in Gaza City.
Ultimately, her body was discovered alongside six family members and two Red Crescent rescue workers dispatched to assist her. The commission concluded that the responsibility for these deaths lies with the Israeli army’s 162nd Division, identifying such actions as war crimes.
‘Widespread and systematic maltreatment’ of detainees
The report also scrutinized the conditions faced by Palestinians in Israeli military detention facilities. It revealed that numerous detainees, including minors, endure “prevalent and systematic abuse, encompassing physical and psychological trauma, as well as sexual and gender-based violence.”
Investigators classified these acts as “war crimes, including torture, and crimes against humanity manifesting as sexual violence.” Specific claims noted the occurrence of sexual assaults and attacks on male detainees, underlining the severe brutality inflicted upon individuals in these facilities.
The deaths of detainees due to maltreatment or neglect have also been deemed war crimes by the commission. They reported that the “institutionalized abuse of Palestinian detainees” occurs under direct directives from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, exacerbated by Israeli governmental rhetoric that encourages violence and retribution.
Pillay emphasized that these “disturbing abuses” against detainees necessitate accountability and reparations.
‘Hostages and their harrowing experiences’
As for Israeli and other hostages held by Palestinian armed factions, the report detailed that many have experienced “physical agony and profound psychological distress,” marked by violence, degradation, sexual abuse, and restricted provisions of food and water.
The commission stated, “Hamas and other Palestinian factions have perpetrated war crimes, including torture and cruel treatment, as well as crimes against humanity such as enforced disappearances and inhumane acts that cause extreme suffering and severe harm.”
Pillay urged that all hostages should be released immediately and without conditions.
Following Hamas’s assault on October 7, 2022, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 individuals—most of whom were civilians—Israel commenced a significant retaliatory invasion of Gaza. According to official figures obtained from the Hamas-controlled health ministry, which the UN regards as credible, the assault has claimed over 42,000 lives in Gaza.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
