Israeli attacks on Gaza hospitals have devastated the Palestinian enclave's healthcare system and raised serious concerns about the country's compliance with international law, the UN Human Rights Office said in a report on Tuesday.
The 23-page report documenting 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 has had serious consequences for Palestinians' access to medical care.
“The destruction of Gaza's healthcare system and the scale of death of patients, staff and other civilians in these attacks is a direct consequence of the disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law,” it said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said an Israeli airstrike closed a large hospital in Gaza on Friday. Kamal Adwan Hospital was the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza, and WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris says this “vital” lifeline for local Palestinians no longer exists.
The Israeli UN representative believes that the data contained in the report are fabricated
Daniel Meron, Israel's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, described the data contained in the report as fabricated. He said in X that Israel operates in accordance with international law, would never target innocent civilians, and accused Hamas of using Gaza hospitals for what he called “terrorist activities.”
The Israeli military has accused Hamas of using hospitals as command centers for military operations and said those detained by Israel at these facilities are suspected of being militants.
The UN report alluded to such arguments, but concluded that insufficient information had been made public to substantiate them.
Israel has carried out operations against hospitals in Gaza over the past few days, which have been met with criticism, including: from the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The report stated that deliberate attacks on hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are kept – provided they are not military targets – would be war crimes.
She also warned that a systemic pattern of violations of civilian rights could constitute crimes against humanity.
Israel has consistently rejected such suggestions.
“Deathtrap”
The UN said that in response to its report, the Israeli government said its military had taken extensive actions to mitigate harm to civilians and minimize disruption, including providing assistance and evacuation routes and establishing field hospitals.
In a statement, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “As if the relentless bombing and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza were not enough, the only sanctuary where Palestinians should feel safe has in fact become a death trap.”
According to Israeli data, Hamas led an attack on southern Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 to Gaza on October 7, 2023.
According to Palestinian health officials, more than 45,500 Palestinians died in Israel's subsequent war in Gaza.