‘Atrocity Crimes’ – UN Rights Chief Urges Probe into Israel’s Attacks on Gaza Hospitals 

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk. (Photo: EU2018BG Bulgarian Presidency, via Wikimedia Commons)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has warned of “atrocity crimes” successful Gaza, urging urgent enactment to support civilians and respect planetary law.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has warned of “the hazard of atrocity crimes” being committed successful the Occupied Palestinian Territories and called for the extortion of civilians arsenic a substance of “absolute priority.”

“I impulse each those with power to instrumentality enactment accordingly and to support civilians arsenic a substance of implicit priority,” Turk told a briefing to the Security Council connected Friday.

Briefing the Security Council connected #Gaza, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, @volker_turk, called for the extortion of civilians arsenic a substance of implicit priority. https://t.co/YWRHjzImkz pic.twitter.com/Y6HDWoxoaZ

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) January 3, 2025

Turk pointed retired that a “human rights catastrophe continues to unfold successful Gaza earlier the eyes of the world.”

He said “Israel’s means and methods of warfare person killed tens of thousands of people, inflicted immense displacement, and laid discarded to the territory. This has raised utmost concerns astir compliance with planetary law.”

‘Patterns of Attacks’

A caller study by Turk’s bureau covering the play betwixt 7 October 2023 and 30 June 2024, helium said, “documents patterns of attacks connected hospitals, starting with Israeli airstrikes, followed by raids by crushed troops, the detention of immoderate patients and staff, the forced removal of others, and the withdrawal of troops, leaving the infirmary fundamentally non-functional. “ The study besides details the killings of patients, staff, and different civilians.

Kamal Adwan Aggression: What Lies Behind Israel’s War connected Gaza Hospitals?

“The extortion of hospitals during warfare is paramount and indispensable beryllium respected by each sides, astatine each times,” said Turk, adding that the demolition of hospitals crossed Gaza “goes beyond depriving Palestinians of their close to entree capable healthcare.”

He said the demolition wrought by the Israeli military’s attacks connected the Kamal Adwan Hospital – the past functioning infirmary successful North Gaza – reflects “the patterns of attacks” documented successful the report. The hospital’s director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, remains successful Israeli custody and is reportedly being held astatine the notorious Sde Teiman detention halfway successful confederate Israel.

Turk pointed retired that according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, much than 1,050 aesculapian professionals person been killed successful Gaza since October 2023.

“It is important to enactment that aesculapian unit are civilians who service a captious function, peculiarly successful wartime. They bask peculiar protections nether planetary law,” helium stressed.

136 Strikes connected Hospitals

Turk’s bureau documented “at slightest 136 strikes connected astatine slightest 27 hospitals and 12 different aesculapian facilities” successful Gaza, which helium said caused important decease and wounded among doctors, nurses, aesculapian unit and different civilians, and damaged oregon destroyed galore of the buildings targeted.

He stressed that subject operations indispensable ever separate betwixt subject targets and civilians. “

UN Human Rights Chief @volker_turk calls connected the @UN Security Council & each those with power to instrumentality enactment to safeguard hospitals and wellness services successful Gaza, to support civilians arsenic a substance of implicit precedence & to guarantee accountability for each violations of international… pic.twitter.com/u3dDtn3lYh

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) January 3, 2025

“The usage of dense weapons against hospitals is hard to reconcile with that principle,” helium noted, adding that “Failure to respect these principles is simply a breach of planetary humanitarian law.”

He said intentionally directing attacks against hospitals and places wherever the sick and wounded are treated, provided they are not subject objectives, “is a warfare crime.”

“Under definite circumstances, the deliberate demolition of healthcare facilities whitethorn magnitude to a signifier of corporate punishment, which would besides represent a warfare crime,” helium emphasized.

Turk continued: “If committed arsenic portion of a wide oregon systematic onslaught connected a civilian population, specified acts whitethorn besides magnitude to crimes against humanity.”

Israel’s Allegations

Addressing Israel’s allegations that hospitals were being utilized by “Palestinian equipped groups,” helium said: “Israel has not provided capable accusation to substantiate galore of these claims, which are often vague and broad. In immoderate cases, they look to beryllium contradicted by publically disposable information.”

“This is wherefore I americium calling for independent, thorough and transparent investigations into each Israeli attacks connected hospitals, healthcare infrastructure and aesculapian unit – arsenic good arsenic the alleged misuse of specified facilities,” said Turk.

‘Blatant Assault connected Health’ – UN Experts Call for Dr. Abu Safiya’s Release

The UN authoritative besides urged Israel “as the occupying Power,” to guarantee and facilitate entree to lifesaving humanitarian assistance including capable healthcare, for the Palestinian population.

He besides appealed to Israel “to extremity its continued beingness successful the Occupied Palestinian Territory arsenic rapidly arsenic possible, successful enactment with applicable UN resolutions, the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, and wider planetary law.”

Ongoing Genocide

The ongoing Israeli battle connected the Gaza Strip, which began connected October 7, 2023, has led to a humanitarian situation of unprecedented scale. As the decease toll among besieged and starved Palestinian civilians continues to emergence daily, Israel is presently facing charges of genocide against Palestinians earlier the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

🚨 BREAKING: Israeli airstrikes intensify successful the alleged “safe zone” successful confederate Gaza Strip, causing wide harm and casualties. pic.twitter.com/q8FRpY72Ws

— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) January 6, 2025

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, astatine slightest 45,854 Palestinians person been killed, and 109,139 wounded successful Israel’s ongoing genocide successful Gaza starting connected October 7, 2023. The toll is expected to emergence further, with astatine slightest 11,000 radical inactive unaccounted for, presumed dormant nether the rubble of their homes crossed Gaza.

The war, which Palestinians telephone “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” began aft a subject cognition carried retired by Hamas connected Israeli territory. Israel reports that 1,139 of its soldiers and civilians were killed during the archetypal onslaught connected October 7. However, Israeli media person raised concerns that a important fig of Israeli casualties were caused by ‘friendly fire’ during the assault.

Humanitarian Disaster

Human rights organizations, some Palestinian and international, person reported that the overwhelming bulk of the casualties successful Gaza are women and children. The ongoing unit has besides exacerbated an acute famine, with thousands of children among the dead, highlighting the severity of the humanitarian disaster.

🚨 Israel whitethorn chopped humanitarian assistance to Gaza nether coordination with the Trump administration.

Severe restrictions since Oct 2023 person already led to starvation, deaths, and a worsening crisis.

Human rights groups dependable the alarm.#Gaza #HumanRights #MiddleEast… pic.twitter.com/9RQuReSGCR

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 5, 2025

The warfare has displaced astir 2 cardinal radical from their homes crossed Gaza, with the bulk of the displaced forced into the already overcrowded confederate portion of the Strip. The colonisation successful Gaza remains trapped successful the ongoing conflict, with small entree to basal necessities specified arsenic food, water, and aesculapian care.

(The Palestine Chronicle)