The Palestinian Association for Human
Rights (Witness) strongly condemns the massacre committed by Israeli occupation
forces at dawn on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, by bombing a clinic belonging to
the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in
Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza. The attack resulted in the killing of at
least 19 people, including 9 children, and the injury of dozens with varying
degrees of severity. It also caused massive destruction to the building and
ignited a fire inside.
Multiple Legal Violations:
Targeting a Clinic, a UN Facility, and Civilians
This attack constitutes a grave
violation of three fundamental legal protections, making it an egregious crime
under international law:
- Targeting a Medical Facility: Clinics and
hospitals are protected under international humanitarian law, particularly
the Geneva Conventions (Article 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and
Article 12 of the Additional Protocol I), which grant immunity to medical
facilities and prohibit their targeting under any circumstances as they
are essential for saving civilian lives.
- Attacking a UN Institution: Since the clinic
is affiliated with UNRWA, its bombing constitutes an attack on a UN entity
that enjoys international protection. This is a direct violation of the UN
Charter and a breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2286 (2016), which
prohibits attacks on medical facilities and obligates member states to
protect them.
- Killing Civilians, Mostly Children: The attack
resulted in the killing of displaced civilians, the majority of whom were
children, which constitutes a flagrant violation of the principle of
distinction under Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions, which
obligates warring parties to differentiate between civilians and
combatants. Furthermore, targeting children violates the Convention on the
Rights of the Child (1989), which prohibits killing or exposing children
to violence during armed conflicts.
A Dangerous Escalation:
Systematic Targeting of the Healthcare Sector
The targeting of this clinic is
part of an ongoing Israeli policy aimed at destroying Gaza’s healthcare
infrastructure. Reports have been documented:
- More than 150 medical facilities targeted since the beginning of the aggression, including hospitals, clinics, and
emergency centers.
- Over 30 hospitals fully or partially destroyed, including Al-Shifa Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital, and Nasser Hospital.
- More than 70% of hospitals in Gaza have been
rendered non-operational due to bombardment and the severe shortage of
medical supplies.
Urgent Demands and
Recommendations
Considering these ongoing crimes
against civilians and humanitarian facilities, the Palestinian Association for
Human Rights (Witness) calls on relevant international bodies to take immediate
and decisive action, including:
- The World Health Organization (WHO): Deploy an
urgent medical mission to Gaza to assess the damage and ensure the
provision of essential health services and officially condemn the
targeting of medical facilities.
- The UN Human Rights Council: Launch an
immediate investigation into this crime and include it among the
violations for which Israeli occupation officials must be held accountable
in international forums.
- The UN Secretary-General: Issue a firm stance
demanding an end to attacks on UNRWA institutions and medical facilities
and ensuring the protection of civilians.
- The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
(ICC): Expedite the investigation into war crimes committed in Gaza,
including the deliberate targeting of medical and humanitarian facilities.
The continued international
silence on these crimes reinforces a culture of impunity and emboldens the
Israeli occupation to persist in its aggression against civilians and
humanitarian infrastructure. What is needed now is not just statements of
condemnation, but urgent and effective actions to halt these grave violations.
The Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness)
Beirut, April 3, 2025