Israel pursued a coordinated policy of destroying the health system in Gaza

(Patria) - A UN investigation has shown that Israel pursued a coordinated policy of destroying the health system in the war in Gaza, which constitutes war crimes and extermination as a crime against humanity, it was announced yesterday in Geneva.

In a statement by former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, released ahead of the full report, Israel is accused of "relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities" in the war triggered by the deadly attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

"Children, in particular, have borne the brunt of these attacks, suffering both directly and indirectly from the collapse of the health system," said Pillay, whose report will be presented to the UN General Assembly on October 30.

Israel says militants in Gaza attack using populated areas, including private homes, schools, and hospitals, as shields, and that they will target them wherever they emerge, while trying to avoid harming civilians. Hamas denies that its militants hide behind civilians.

A statement related to the UN investigation also accuses Israeli forces of deliberately killing and torturing medical personnel, targeting medical vehicles, and restricting permits for patients to leave the besieged Gaza Strip.

The death of Palestinian girl Hind Rajab in February, along with family members and two health workers who tried to rescue her under Israeli fire, is cited as an example.

The World Health Organization says that more than 10,000 patients requiring urgent medical evacuation have been prevented from leaving Gaza since the Rafah border crossing with Egypt was closed in May.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health states that nearly 1,000 medical workers were killed in Gaza last year, which the WHO called an "irreplaceable loss and a huge blow to the health system".

The statement said that the treatment of both Palestinian prisoners in Israel and hostages captured by Hamas fighters in the October 7 attack on Israel was investigated, and both sides were accused of involvement in torture and sexual violence.

The Commission of Inquiry (COI) has a broad mandate to collect evidence and identify suspected perpetrators of international crimes committed in the area. Its findings are based on a range of sources, including interviews with victims and witnesses, submitted evidence, and satellite imagery.

The COI previously claimed that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the war in Gaza and that Israel's actions also constituted crimes against humanity due to the massive civilian casualties.

This term is reserved for the most serious international crimes committed knowingly as part of a widespread or systematic attack on civilians. Israel does not cooperate with investigators and says the investigation is anti-Israeli.

The COI accused Israel of obstructing its work and preventing investigators from accessing both Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Evidence collected by such UN-mandated bodies can form the basis for prosecuting war crimes and could be relied upon by the International Criminal Court.