An Israeli strike near a Palestinian hospital on Boxing Day struck a press van, which Gaza's health authority says killed five journalists. (Reuters: Khamis Said)
In short:
A report by the United Nations Human Rights Office has condemned Israeli attacks on hospitals in war-torn Gaza.
The Israeli military has not responded to the report, but has consistently rejected suggestions it has conducted war crimes.
The report alluded to Israeli accusations that Hamas was using hospitals as military command centres, but could not substantiate them.
A UN Human Rights Office report has condemned Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza, warning they had further devastated the Palestinian territory's health system.
It was released on Tuesday, amid ongoing criticism of Israel from numerous organisations, including the World Health Organisation, over a series of attacks against Gaza's hospitals in recent days.
The report, released on Tuesday, warned deliberately directing attacks against hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are, provided they are not military objectives, would be war crimes.
It documented attacks on healthcare facilities between October 7, 2023 and June 30, 2024, which the Human Rights Office said had had severe consequences on Palestinians' access to medical help.
The last operating hospital in northern Gaza was this week forcibly evacuated by Israeli forces. (Reuters: Stringer)
The 23-page report concluded that since the Hamas attacks of October 7 2023 against Israel, the conduct of hostilities in Gaza had "destroyed" local healthcare.
"The destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza, and the extent of killing of patients, staff, and other civilians in these attacks, is a direct consequence of the disregard of international humanitarian and human rights law," it said.
The Israeli military did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the report.
The Israeli military has previously accused Hamas of using hospitals as command centres for military operations and said people Israel has detained at the facilities were suspected militants.
The UN report alluded to such arguments but said not enough information had been made public to substantiate them.
The report said deliberately directing attacks against hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are, provided they are not military objectives, would be war crimes.
It also warned that a systemic pattern of rights abuses against civilians could constitute crimes against humanity.
Israel has consistently rejected such suggestions.
Reuters
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