Israel has defended its raid on a Gaza hospital, saying it was triggered by “irrefutable evidence” that militants were using the facility. However, the UN human rights chief called the justification unsubstantiated and vague.
The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, said Israel did not provide sufficient evidence to support its claims of militant activity at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He called for independent investigations into all Israeli attacks on hospitals and healthcare infrastructure.
Israel says more than 240 militants were apprehended during the raid, including those involved in a massacre in southern Israel last year. The hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safiya, is being investigated for allegedly being a Hamas operative.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over Abu Safiya’s detention and is calling for his immediate release. The US is also gathering information about him.
These events come after another doctor was killed in a strike at Gaza’s Al Awda Hospital in November last year, with the Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour breaking down in tears during a UN Security Council meeting.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-israel-defends-gaza-hospital-raid-un-rights-chief-says-its-explanation-is-2025-01-03