Israel 'deliberately' targeting Gaza's health sector

Spokesman of the Palestinian Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qidra has accused the Israeli occupation forces of “deliberately” targeting Gaza’s health sector.

Counting the number of Israeli attacks on Palestinian hospitals and paramedics during the war on his Twitter page, Al-Qidra described the Israeli acts as “war crimes” and “violations of the international law and Fourth Geneva Convention” that warranted urgent prosecution.

“Healthcare facilities have come under Zionist’s fire,” he tweeted. “Abu-Yousif Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, which is the only one in the whole city that serves around 350,000 Gazans is an example. Its staff was forced to evacuate the dead and wounded and abandon the hospital under heavy Israeli fire on Friday.”

Another example, Al-Qidra cited, was the Beit Hanoun Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip. “It is the only hospital there that serves around 40,000 Gazans,” he said. “Its staff was obliged to evacuate patients and dead and leave under heavy Israeli fire two days before the attack Rafah,” he added.

He counted other hospitals, including Mohamed Al-Dorrah Hospital in the north-eastern side of the Gaza city, which was closed after Israeli bombardment near its headquarters.

“We in the ministry of health condemn these racist acts, which complicate the healthcare system and regard them as part of the Israeli war of aggression on Gaza,” he said.

“International human rights organisations are urged to review their positions and fulfil their moral duty to protect healthcare institutions in the Gaza Strip,” he added.

On Wednesday, Israel’s occupation forces killed three paramedics while they were evacuating casualties in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, where 70 civilians were massacred and more than 350 wounded.