Gaza healthcare on the brink of collapse amid Israeli strikes: UN
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A United Nations report released on Tuesday has revealed that Israeli airstrikes targeting hospitals and surrounding areas in the Gaza Strip have pushed the region’s healthcare system to the edge of collapse.
The report, issued by the UN Human Rights Office, raises serious questions about Israel's adherence to international humanitarian laws.
The 23-page document, titled “Attacks on Hospitals During the Escalation of Hostilities in Gaza,” covers the period from October 7, 2023, to June 30, 2024. It highlights at least 136 attacks on 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities, resulting in severe casualties among medical staff, civilians, and patients. The strikes have also caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure, reported Arab News.
The report emphasized that under international humanitarian law, medical facilities and personnel are protected unless they are actively used for hostile purposes. However, Israel’s allegations that Palestinian groups were misusing hospitals for military purposes were criticized as “vague and insufficiently substantiated.” In some cases, these claims appeared to contradict publicly available information.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk described Gaza’s hospitals as “death traps” amid the ongoing hostilities. “The one place where Palestinians should have felt safe has become a target of relentless violence,” he said. “Protecting hospitals during warfare is non-negotiable and must be respected at all times.”
The Gaza conflict began with a large-scale attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,208 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliatory strikes have claimed over 45,500 lives in Gaza, with civilians comprising the majority, based on data from Gaza’s health ministry, considered reliable by the UN.
The report also highlighted the devastating impact on Gaza’s medical system, calling for urgent reconstruction and recovery efforts to restore healthcare services destroyed during the conflict.
The UN called for impartial investigations into the strikes, citing the “limitations” of Israel's justice system in addressing its military's actions. “Independent, thorough, and transparent investigations are essential to ensure accountability for violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws,” said Turk.
The report concluded by urging Israel, as the occupying power, to guarantee access to healthcare for Palestinians and prioritise rebuilding Gaza’s medical capacity. It also called for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained medical workers.