Israel has strongly condemned a recent report from the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which accuses the country of deliberately seeking to dismantle Gaza’s healthcare system and committing widespread abuses against Palestinian detainees.
According to the AFP, the report, released on Thursday, describes Israel’s actions as war crimes and crimes against humanity, including “the crime of extermination” due to attacks on medical personnel and facilities.
In a statement from its mission in Geneva, Israel rejected the findings as “outrageous,” accusing the Commission of attempting to delegitimize the nation.
“This latest report is another blatant attempt by the CoI to obstruct Israel’s right to protect its population while covering up the crimes of terrorist organizations,” the statement said.
The UN report highlighted that Israel has engaged in a “concerted policy” to destroy healthcare services in Gaza, a claim Israeli officials dismiss as misleading. They argue that medical facilities in Gaza are routinely used by militant groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad for terrorist activities.
“This report shamelessly portrays Israel’s operations in terror-infested health facilities in Gaza as a matter of policy against Gaza’s health system,” the statement added.
Israel also dismissed allegations of mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, asserting that the country is committed to international legal standards.
“Israel is fully committed to international legal standards regarding the treatment of detainees, including the prohibition of excessive use of force and ill-treatment,” it said.
The commission, set up by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021, has released this report as part of its ongoing investigation into alleged violations of international law in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The report is the second since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to a large-scale Israeli invasion of Gaza.
