Israel under surveillance for destroying Gaza's health system world news

Israel's prime minister's office and its Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Israel says the militants in Gaza operate from the cover of built-up residential areas, including private homes, schools and hospitals, and that it will attack them wherever they appear, while trying to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas denied having hidden militants, weapons and command posts among civilians.

The UN investigative statement also accused Israeli forces of deliberately killing and torturing medical workers, targeting medical vehicles and restricting patients from leaving the besieged Gaza Strip.

The World Health Organization says more than 10,000 patients needing urgent treatment have been prevented from leaving Gaza since the Rafah border with Egypt was closed in May. The Palestinian Health Ministry said nearly 1,000 doctors were killed in Gaza last year, in what the WHO called “an irreparable loss and a huge blow to the health system.”

In cases where Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of four hospitals, the investigation concluded that the orders were “impossible” because they did not give doctors time to evacuate hundreds of patients and Israeli forces did not assist them.

It also stated that it was investigating the treatment of both Palestinian prisoners in Israel and hostages held by Hamas fighters in the October 7 attack, and accused both sides of committing torture and sexual violence.

The Commission of Inquiry has a broad mandate to collect evidence and identify suspects of international crimes committed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It bases its conclusions on a variety of sources, including interviews with victims and witnesses, statements and satellite images.

The commission previously alleged that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza war, and that Israel's actions also constituted crimes against humanity, causing enormous civilian casualties. The term is reserved for the most serious international crimes committed knowingly as part of a widespread or systematic attack against civilians.

Israel has not cooperated with the investigation, which it claims has an anti-Israel bias. The commission accused Israel of obstructing its work and preventing researchers from entering Israeli and Palestinian territories.

Evidence gathered by UN-led agencies has sometimes formed the basis of war crimes prosecutions and can be used by the International Criminal Court.

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