UN says Israel attacks put Gaza health care system on ‘brink of collapse’

Dec 31, 2024

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)

A new U.N. report claims Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war has brought the Palestinian health care system to the brink of collapse. The allegation comes as Israel accuses Hamas of launching attacks from hospitals, while using the buildings as shields for its military operations.

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The U.N. report acknowledged Israel’s allegations, but said there’s not enough evidence to back up the claims. Instead, it noted a pattern of Israeli forces attacking hospitals, resulting in evacuations, and in some instances led to patients, staff and civilians dying.

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The report looked at the period from Oct. 7, 2023, the start of the war which began with a Hamas terror attack on Israel launched from Gaza, to June 30, 2024.

There were reportedly 136 attacks on 27 Gaza hospitals and 12 other medical facilities.

The Israeli government responded to the report, saying its military had taken extensive measures to reduce harm to civilians and minimize disruption like providing aid, evacuation routes and setting up field hospitals.

But the U.N.’s high commissioner for human rights calls the report’s findings “blatant disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law.”

In December 2023, the Israeli Defense Forces said the director of a hospital in North Gaza admitted to being a Hamas commander, and that the terror group used the hospital as a military post, adding that at one point, Hamas held a kidnapped Israeli soldier.

And in November 2023, U.S. officials confirmed that Hamas was using Al-Shifa hospital as a front for military operations.

Israel has said its attacks are necessary for self-defense against Hamas, while the Hamas-run Health Ministry reports Israel’s military operations have killed more than 45,000 Palestinians.

Tags: Gaza, Hamas, hospital, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, United Nations, War

[Karah Rucker]

A NEW U-N REPORT CLAIMS ISRAELI ATTACKS ON HOSPITALS IN GAZA DURING THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR HAS BROUGHT THE PALESTINIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM TO THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE.

THE ALLEGATION COMES AS ISRAEL ACCUSES HAMAS OF LAUNCHING ATTACKS FROM HOSPITALS … WHILE USING THE BUILDINGS AS SHIELDS FOR ITS MILITARY OPERATIONS.

THE U-N REPORT ACKNOWLEDGES ISRAEL’S ALLEGATIONS, BUT SAYS THERE’S NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO BACK UP THE CLAIMS …

INSTEAD, NOTING A PATTERN OF ISRAELI FORCES ATTACKING HOSPITALS … RESULTING IN EVACUATIONS … THAT IN SOME INSTANCES LED TO PATIENTS, STAFF AND CIVILIANS DYING.

THE REPORT LOOKED AT THE PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 7TH 20-23 – THE START OF WAR WHICH BEGAN WITH A HAMAS TERROR ATTACK ON ISRAEL LAUNCHED FROM GAZA– TO JUNE 30TH 20-24.

THERE WERE REPORTEDLY 136 ATTACKS ON 27 GAZA HOSPITALS AND 12 OTHER MEDICAL FACILITIES.

THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE REPORT … SAYING ITS MILITARY HAD TAKEN EXTENSIVE MEASURES TO REDUCE HARM TO CIVILIANS AND MINIMIZE DISRUPTION … LIKE PROVIDING AID, EVACUATION ROUTES AND SETTING UP FIELD HOSPITALS.

BUT THE U-N’S HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CALLS THE REPORTS FINDINGS “BLATANT DISREGARD FOR INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAW.”

IN DECEMBER 20-23 … THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SAID THE DIRECTOR OF A HOSPITAL IN NORTH GAZA ADMITTED TO BEING A HAMAS COMMANDER AND THAT THE TERROR GROUP USED THE HOSPITAL AS A MILITARY POST … ADDING THAT AT ONE POINT, HAMAS HELD A KIDNAPPED ISRAELI SOLDIER.

AND IN NOVEMBER 20-23 … U-S OFFICIALS CONFIRMED THAT HAMAS WAS USING AL-SHIFA HOSPITAL AS A FRONT FOR MILITARY OPERATIONS.

ISRAEL HAS SAID ITS ATTACKS ARE NECESSARY FOR SELF-DEFENSE AGAINST HAMAS, WHILE THE HAMAS RUN GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY REPORTS ISRAEL’S MILITARY OPERATIONS HAVE KILLED THAN 45-THOUSAND PALESTINIANS.

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