A family in a makeshift tent in Gaza. Gaza: WHO demands release of Kamal Adwan hospital director detained in raid Peace and Security
Gaza’s healthcare system is under renewed threat after the Kamal Adwan hospital in the northern enclave was forced to close following a raid by Israeli forces, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
The hospital director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, was detained in a raid two days ago and his whereabouts remain unclear, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday. He called for the immediate release of the Kamal Advan director.
WHO had previously reported that the raid reportedly burned and severely damaged the hospital’s surgical ward, engineering room, operating room, and medical warehouse. Patients were initially transferred from Kamal Advan to an Indonesian hospital in Gaza, which is currently unable to provide essential medical services, Ghebreyesus added.
“Amid ongoing chaos in northern Gaza, WHO and partners today delivered essential medical and hygiene supplies, food and water to an Indonesian hospital and transferred 10 critical patients to Al-Shifa Hospital. Four patients were detained during the transfer. We call on Israel to ensure that their health needs and rights are met,” the WHO chief said in a statement.
Seven patients, as well as 15 caregivers and health workers, remain in a heavily damaged Indonesian hospital with inadequate facilities to provide care, he said.
Al-Ahly Hospital and Al-Wafa Rehabilitation Hospital in Gaza were reportedly attacked on Monday, causing damage to both. The WHO Director-General called for an end to attacks on hospitals and for the people of Gaza to have access to health care and humanitarian aid.
Violations of International Law
Meanwhile, a group of independent UN human rights experts issued a statement stressing that Israel must be held accountable for its “campaign to undermine the legal framework for the protection of civilians in armed conflict.”
According to human rights activists, instead of respecting the universal and binding norms of international humanitarian law, Israel has systematically violated them.
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Experts are particularly concerned about events in northern Gaza, where they say Israel has grossly violated its obligations as an occupying power.
“Indiscriminate attacks, including on shelters for displaced persons and the Kamal Adwan hospital and its surroundings, and the tightening of the closure conditions in northern Gaza over the past three months, are contrary to Israel’s legal obligations to protect civilians,” – they stressed.
Of particular concern is that the blockade and forced evacuations may be an attempt to permanently displace the local population in preparation for the annexation of Gaza, which is also contrary to the provisions of international law.
The experts reiterated the need for an independent and comprehensive investigation into the serious violations.
Statements were made by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Paula Gaviria Betancourt, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, and a number of others experts.
Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts serve on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.