
The United Nations has issued a forceful demand for immediate and independent investigations into a series of devastating attacks on hospitals in Gaza, following reports of mass casualties that have sparked international outrage.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the recent strikes, which targeted the heavily damaged Al-Ahli Arab Hospital and the Indonesian Hospital, stating they "must be subjected to rigorous independent investigation". He emphasised that "the horrific killings of hundreds of civilians… cannot simply be brushed aside".
A Healthcare System in Ruins
The call for action comes amidst what aid agencies describe as the complete collapse of Gaza's medical infrastructure. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the territory's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, is now a "death zone" after being besieged and raided. The few remaining functional hospitals are overwhelmed, operating without power, clean water, or essential supplies.
Conflicting Narratives and Mounting Evidence
While the Israeli military maintains its operations target Hamas command centres allegedly embedded within medical complexes, mounting evidence from the ground paints a grimmer picture. Satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts detail extensive destruction to medical facilities and civilian areas.
The UN's statement highlights the discovery of a mass grave at Al-Shifa Hospital, containing hundreds of bodies, as a particularly egregious example requiring urgent forensic investigation to establish the circumstances of the deaths.
International Law Under the Spotlight
These events have placed the principles of international humanitarian law under intense scrutiny. The protection of medical facilities and civilians during conflict is a cornerstone of the Geneva Conventions. The deliberate targeting of such facilities, if proven, constitutes a war crime.
The international community watches closely as pressure builds for accountability and an end to the violence that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and left a population on the brink of famine.