Doctors Without Borders calls for investigation into killings of staff and relatives by Israeli army

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) has filed a petition with the Israeli Supreme Court calling for an investigation into incidents in which Israeli army fire struck its facilities and vehicles, killing seven staff members and members of their families.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the medical organisation says it has received no indication that a formal investigation has been launched into the incidents. The petition comes amid a recent Israeli decision preventing MSF from continuing its operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Omer Shatz, the lawyer representing the organisation in Israel, said the legal action is not intended to prosecute individuals but to ensure future protection for humanitarian workers.

“The petition is not aimed at bringing anyone to trial,” Shatz said. “What concerns the organisation is looking to the future — how to protect its staff, doctors and their families.”

READ: MSF warns Israeli decision to end Gaza operations threatens patients’ lives

He argued that such protection requires the Military Advocate General to issue a legal opinion determining whether the incidents complied with international humanitarian law, which would in turn necessitate opening a formal investigation.

Shatz added that the failure to investigate could itself constitute a serious violation of the laws of war and international law.

The lawyer first requested an inquiry in July 2024, addressing then Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi and outlining legal concerns regarding the incidents. The Israeli army did not respond to that request or to subsequent follow-ups.

Five months later, Shatz was informed that the cases had been transferred to the General Staff’s internal investigative mechanism, responsible for reviewing incidents suspected of breaching international law.

READ: Islamic Jihad: Gaza Peace Council fails to halt Israel’s war