Human Rights and Democracy Media Center- SHAMS, asserts that targeting the workers of the first aid, medical services, and emergency centers, by the Israeli occupation is an insistence on the crime and disdaining the international law. The latest attack of this kind was targeting Al Daraj Clinic in Gaza City leading to the killing of Hani Al Jaafarawy, the director of first aid and emergency. The attack reveals the criminal and inhuman behavior of the Israeli army in targeting the workers of first aid, medical services, and emergency centers. The targeting in this case represents a criminal practice of militias and military groups and has nothing to do with the ethics of regular armies, which should respect international law, military honor, and internationally recognized badges, such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and fight in battle face-to-face with other regular armies. These armies should neutralize medical teams, patients, and wounded as well as neutralize hospitals, medical centers, and their crews from military operations.
The Center asserts that targeting the medical centers and their teams reflects the criminal behavior of the Israeli occupation against innocent civilians and the workers in the medical and emergency centers as well as the workers in other humanitarian fields. The Israeli attack violates the fundamental principles of the International Committee of the Red Cross, especially the principle of distinguishing between civilian and military objects. The Israeli authorities do not distinguish between medical or civic and military institutions where all are considered military targets that should be demolished. Additionally, the Israeli occupation does not distinguish between women, children, men, medical teams, and civilians, on the one hand, and the military fighters on the other. All these categories are dealt with as military targets that should be demolished.
SHAMS Center condemns the systematic targeting of the medical and emergency centers and their crews in the Gaza Strip, by the Israeli forces. This targeting caused the killing of 500 members of the health services cadres, arresting more than 300 members in inhumane and harsh circumstances, pushing 33 hospitals out of service, and destroying more than 131 ambulances and emergency intervention vehicles. These attacks reveal the level of criminality and insistence on crimes by the Israeli occupation and its extremist right-wing government. The Israeli government is neglecting all the international principles and laws, which protect human rights, human dignity, and fundamental freedoms during times of war and military conflicts.
SHAMS Center asserts that targeting first aid and emergency centers is a profound violation of international law and international humanitarian law. In particular, the Israeli occupation is violating Article 24 of the Geneva Fourth Convention (12/8/1949), which states: “Medical personnel exclusively engaged in the search for, or the collection, transport or treatment of the wounded or sick, or in the prevention of disease, staff exclusively engaged in the administration of medical units and establishments, as well as chaplains attached to the armed forces, shall be respected and protected in all circumstances”. Additionally, Israel is violating Article 18 of the same Convention, which stipulates: “Protect all persons who are not involved in the hostilities and have nothing to do with the military operations while they are living in the areas of armed conflicts”. The Israeli attacks violated the United Nations General Assembly Resolution (2675/ 1970, which stressed the necessity to neutralize hospitals during times of hostile and armed conflicts where the vicinity of the hospital or any other shelter should not be targeted by military operations. The attacks are considered a war crime, under international law where Article 8 of the Rome Statute/ 1998 states: “Intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects, that is, objects which are not military objectives” is a war crime.
SHAMS Center urges the secretary-general of the United Nations, states permanent members of the Security Council, the noble parties signatories of Geneva Conventions, International Red Cross Committee, Special UN Rapporteur in the OPT, Doctors without Borders Organization, Amnesty International, and governmental/ nongovernmental organizations, for the necessity to take immediate measures to press on the occupation state and obligate it to stop targeting medical facilities and medical teams. The occupation state should be lobbied to adhere to international law and neutralize the civilians and civic objects from military attacks and stop the war crimes and profound violations of human rights in the Gaza Strip.