Human Rights Watch condemns Israel for committing war crimes in targeting Gaza hospitals

In a detailed report released on Thursday, HRW described how Israeli forces inflicted severe harm on both the sick and medical workers by denying them essential resources and targeting healthcare facilities during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

According to HRW, Israeli forces caused the deaths of at least 84 Palestinian patients by denying them basic necessities such as electricity, water, food, and medicine. The rights organization condemned the blockade imposed by Israeli forces on hospitals in Gaza, which restricted access to ambulances and medical supplies.

As a result, medical treatment was severely hindered, leading to the deaths of patients who could not be adequately cared for. Many of the victims were chronically ill or had conditions requiring urgent medical intervention, such as children undergoing dialysis.

HRW's report is based on interviews with nine patients and two healthcare workers who were present at three Gaza hospitals during Israeli airstrikes and occupations: the al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City (November 2023 and March 2024), Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia (January 2024), and the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis (February 2024). These testimonies painted a harrowing picture of the suffering endured by patients and medical staff in the wake of the Israeli military’s siege and occupation of these facilities.

The blockade imposed by Israeli forces on these hospitals significantly hampered their ability to treat patients. The denial of electricity led to critical situations where medical equipment, including ventilators, was unable to function.

Dr. Khalif Abu Samra, a healthcare worker at al-Shifa Hospital, recounted witnessing the detachment of a patient from a ventilator due to a lack of power. This shocking incident highlights the severe consequences of the Israeli forces' attacks, which led to the deaths of patients who could have been saved if proper medical resources were available.

In addition to power cuts, HRW’s report stated that Israeli forces obstructed the delivery of medical supplies and blocked ambulances from reaching the hospitals. As a result, many patients, particularly those requiring urgent care such as dialysis or treatment for severe wounds, were left without the necessary resources to survive. The denial of food, water, and medicine exacerbated the suffering, and many patients’ conditions worsened due to the Israeli-imposed siege.

One of the most egregious aspects of the Israeli occupation of Gaza’s medical facilities was the direct targeting of patients, healthcare workers, and medical equipment. Witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers fired on civilians attempting to flee the hospitals, including patients and staff members in wheelchairs or on stretchers. HRW’s report also detailed how Israeli forces forcibly evacuated hospitals without providing adequate support or alternatives for patients who could not move on their own.

In some instances, Israeli soldiers specifically targeted medical personnel. Reports from healthcare workers described how they were mistreated, threatened, and forced to leave their posts under duress. The Israeli forces’ raids directly violated the Geneva Conventions, which protect both medical personnel and facilities from attack, according to the report. Despite these protections, HRW’s report concluded that Israeli forces' actions amounted to war crimes, as they deliberately targeted medical facilities and hindered efforts to provide essential care to the wounded and sick.

One of the most significant incidents highlighted in HRW’s report occurred on October 13, 2023, when the Israeli military issued an expulsion order for northern Gaza, including al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in Palestine.

Despite the absence of a safe evacuation route, the Israeli military forced thousands of displaced civilians and patients to flee the hospital, putting their lives at further risk. One of the most harrowing testimonies came from Ridana Zukhra, a 23-year-old woman who was fired upon by an Israeli tank as she tried to flee al-Shifa with her children, brother, and cousin. Her five-year-old daughter was critically injured in the attack, and her leg had to be amputated.

The Israeli airstrikes on October 13 also targeted ambulances evacuating patients, killing at least 21 people, including five children. The attacks on ambulances, which are protected under international law, further exacerbated the loss of life in the conflict.

Furthermore, between November 11 and 17, 2023, Israeli forces blockaded al-Shifa Hospital, which was sheltering around 600 patients, including premature babies and individuals requiring dialysis. As a result of the blockade, 40 patients died during this period.

On November 15, Israeli forces stormed the hospital, and patients, including those who were critically ill or in comas, were forced to evacuate despite their inability to move. Some of these patients died due to the lack of proper care during the forced evacuation. HRW’s report also highlighted that several patients on dialysis refused to leave the hospital, and their fate remains uncertain.

In another incident, a maternity patient who was transferred to another facility after being forcibly evacuated from al-Shifa died due to inadequate intensive care at the new facility. These incidents underline the extent to which Israeli forces’ actions obstructed medical care and contributed to unnecessary suffering and loss of life.

When Israeli forces withdrew from al-Shifa Hospital in early April 2024, after a deadly two-week siege, the hospital was left in ruins. Healthcare workers and families were left to deal with the aftermath of the violence, with corpses scattered throughout the complex. With cemeteries overwhelmed and the morgues unable to handle the volume of bodies, families were forced to dig temporary graves in the hospital courtyards. Some of the victims were buried in mass graves by Israeli soldiers during their assault on the medical complex.

Despite Israel's repeated claims that its attacks on Gaza’s medical facilities were justified because they were allegedly being used as military command centers by Palestinian armed groups, HRW noted that no verifiable evidence has been provided to substantiate these allegations. The targeting of hospitals, medical staff, and patients, HRW stressed, is a clear violation of international humanitarian law.