Israel Defends Raid on Gaza Hospital, UN Calls for Investigation
GENEVA: Israel on Friday defended its raid on a north Gaza hospital last week, while the UN human rights chief called the justification unsubstantiated and the World Health Organisation urged Israel to release the hospital’s director from detention.
Israel’s Defense
Israel’s UN ambassador in Geneva, Daniel Meron, posted on social media a letter he sent on Friday to the WHO and Volker Turk, the UN human rights official. It said the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital a week ago was "triggered by irrefutable evidence" that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants were using the hospital. He added that Israeli forces had taken "extraordinary measures to protect civilian life while acting on credible intelligence."
UN Rights Chief’s Response
Turk told the UN Security Council on Friday that Israel did not "substantiate many of these claims, which are often vague and broad. In some cases, they appear to be contradicted by publicly available information." He called for "independent, thorough and transparent investigations into all Israeli attacks on hospitals, healthcare infrastructure and medical personnel, as well as the alleged misuse of such facilities."
Detention of Hospital Director
Israel’s deputy UN ambassador Jonathan Miller said more than "240 terrorists were apprehended, including 15 who participated in the Oct 7 massacre" in southern Israel in 2023, which triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. The hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safiya, was also detained in the raid. Miller stated that they suspect Abu Safiya of being a Hamas operative, as hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were hiding inside the Kamal Adwan Hospital under his management.
WHO’s Concerns
The WHO is deeply concerned about Abu Safiya, said WHO representative Richard Peeperkorn, adding "We have lost contact with him since and call for his immediate release."
US Stance
The US is gathering information about Abu Safiya, Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told the security council.
Palestinian Envoy’s Emotional Plea
Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour broke down in tears as he recalled words that a doctor from Médecins sans Frontières, Mahmoud Abu Nujaila, wrote at Gaza’s Al Awda Hospital before he was killed in a strike in November 2023. Mansour said that Nujaila had written on a hospital whiteboard used for planning surgeries: "Whoever stays until the end, will tell the story. We did what we could. Remember us."
Conclusion
The situation in Gaza remains tense, with both sides in the conflict at odds over the raid and the detention of the hospital director. The international community is calling for an investigation into the incident, while Israel is defending its actions. The story of Mahmoud Abu Nujaila’s final words serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of this conflict.
FAQs
- What was the reason for the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital?
- According to Israel, the raid was triggered by evidence of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants using the hospital.
- What is the current status of the hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safiya?
- He is currently in detention and under investigation by Israeli security forces.
- What is the stance of the World Health Organisation on the situation?
- The WHO is calling for Abu Safiya’s immediate release and is concerned about his well-being.
- What is the position of the United Nations on the situation?
- The UN is calling for an independent, thorough, and transparent investigation into all Israeli attacks on hospitals, healthcare infrastructure, and medical personnel.