UN Special Rapporteurs ‘Horrified’ by Israeli Destruction of Gaza Health Care

Jan. 4—Two UN special rapporteurs have issued a joint statement calling for an end to blatant disregard of the right to health in Gaza following last week’s raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital and the arbitrary arrest and detention of its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. The statement was made by Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, special rapporteur on the right to health, and Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported in a press release.

“For well over a year into the genocide, Israel’s blatant assault on the right to health in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory is plumbing new depths of impunity,” the experts said. “We are horrified and concerned by reports from northern Gaza and especially the attack on the healthcare workers including the last remaining of 22 now destroyed hospitals: Kamal Adwan Hospital. We are gravely concerned with the fate of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, yet another doctor to be harassed, kidnapped and arbitrarily detained by the occupation forces, in his case for defying evacuation orders to leave his patients and colleagues behind. This is part of a pattern by Israel to continuously bombard, destroy and fully annihilate the realization of the right to health in Gaza.”

The two rapporteurs revealed that more than 1,057 Palestinian health and medical professionals have been killed so far and many have been arbitrarily arrested. “The heroic actions of Palestinian medical colleagues in Gaza, teach us what it means to have taken the medical oath. They are also a clear signal of a depraved humanity that has allowed a genocide to continue for well over a year,” the experts said.

“Under occupation, intentional assaults on healthcare facilities have the potential to expose individuals to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment and may constitute a war crime. In Gaza, this is clearly part of a well-established pattern of genocide, for which Israeli leaders will have to be held accountable,” they concluded. “We urge Israel to end its current assault on Gaza and cease its attacks on healthcare facilities. They must also ensure the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, and all other arbitrarily detained healthcare workers. May they be the last arbitrarily arrested Palestinians, and may the new year begin under different auspices.”

Dr. Mofokeng also spoke at an event hosted by Doctors Against Genocide on Dec. 29, testifying to the violations of the right to health occurring in Gaza.