WAR CRIMES: UN report accuses Israel of destroying Gaza's healthcare system

By richardbrown // 2024-10-15

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An independent United Nations report has accused Israel of implementing a systematic policy aimed at completely dismantling Gaza's healthcare system as part of its wider assault on the region. This is according to the UN Human Rights Council's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which emphasized how Israel is "committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extermination, through relentless and targeted attacks on medical personnel and facilities." Established by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021, this three-member commission is releasing its second report since the onset of the current conflict, which was ignited by Hamas's attack on October 7 of last year. The report also addressed the treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israel, highlighting abuses and allegations of torture and sexual violence perpetrated by both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. Israel has accused the commission of exhibiting "systematic anti-Israeli bias" and has outright rejected the findings.

Israel destroying healthcare facilities in Gaza

Commission Chair Navi Pillay of South Africa, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated: "Israel must immediately cease its unprecedented wanton destruction of healthcare facilities in Gaza." She underscored that such actions threaten the fundamental right to health and have severe long-term consequences for the civilian population. The report asserts that Israeli security forces have "deliberately killed, detained and tortured medical personnel while targeting medical vehicles" and have restricted access for those seeking medical treatment outside Gaza. These actions are characterized as war crimes and as contributing to "the crime against humanity of extermination." (Related: Palestinian health ministry shares names of nearly 1,000 health workers killed by IDF in Gaza.) The commission condemned Israel's actions as having caused "incalculable suffering" among child patients, warning that this could lead to the destruction of generations of Palestinian children and, potentially, the Palestinian people as a whole. Among the incidents highlighted in the report is the killing of Hind Rajab in Jan. 29, 2024, described as "one of the most egregious cases" of Israel committing crimes against humanity in Gaza. Rajab, who was five years old when she was killed, called the Palestinian Red Crescent to plead for help after her family's vehicle came under fire in Gaza City while they were fleeing Israel's assault. Rajab was killed along with six of her family members and two Red Crescent rescue workers sent to find them. The commission determined that the Israeli Defense Forces' 162nd Division was responsible for these deaths, classifying them as war crimes. The report also investigated the treatment of Palestinians held in Israeli military detention facilities, finding that thousands, including children, have been subjected to "widespread and systematic abuse, physical and psychological violence, and sexual and gender-based violence." This treatment constitutes "the war crime and crime against humanity of torture, as well as the war crime of rape and other forms of sexual violence." Male detainees, in particular, faced severe abuse, including rape and attacks on their sexual organs. Detainee deaths resulting from abuse or neglect are also categorized as war crimes. The report stated that this "institutionalized mistreatment" of Palestinian detainees occurred "under direct orders" from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, fueled by government rhetoric inciting violence and retribution. Pillay called for accountability and reparations for the "appalling acts of abuse" against detainees. Watch this short clip from the documentary "Gaza: Before and After" discussing how over 74 percent of buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed. This video is from the channel Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth on Brighteon.com.

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Israel destroying healthcare facilities in Gaza

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