ICRC, WHO decry attack on Gaza hospital

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) – International organizations such as the International Red Cross and the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed outrage and shock Tuesday at the news that the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza was destroyed and hundreds were killed.

The organizations did not attribute to either the Israelis or Hamas the attack, in which more than 500 people have died.

Both sides are now engaged in a bitter conflict in Gaza after Hamas attacked, killed more than 100 people, and seized about 200 Israelis as hostages nearly a week ago.

Israel unleashed a ferocious counterattack in Gaza, which the Hamas-led authorities say has led to the deaths of more than 3,000 people.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, "Hospitals should be sanctuaries to preserve human life, not scenes of death and destruction.

"No patient should be killed in a hospital bed. No doctors should lose their lives while trying to save others. Hospitals must be protected under international humanitarian law."

- Both sides know health facility locations

The WHO called a late-night press conference after the hospital attack, and the organization's No. 2, Dr. Mike Ryan, said, "It is absolutely clear to all sides of this conflict where the health facilities are.

He said health care is not a target and should never be a target of anyone in conflict.

"That is enshrined in international humanitarian law. And we're seeing this reached again and again and again over the last week, and it has to stop. It must stop," said Ryan.

WHO did not attribute the blame for the attack.

Ryan said, "We don't attribute attacks; that's for others. That's a criminal investigation that's required to understand the source of an attack, that trajectory or any weapon, or the origin of a weapon.

"That's for others to determine. We're here tonight condemning an attack of this scale of this ferocity of this violence on ordinary people sheltering in the hospital, on doctors and nurses, on people who are already in bed, injured and wounded from previous attacks. We said the violence has to stop on all sides."

Ryan said WHO has often experienced where different sides say they did not commit acts of violence.

"Right now, what matters is there are hundreds of dead people, hundreds if not thousands or more are injured."

The Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC), representing half a billion Christians, also condemned the attack, saying, "Thousands of Palestinians who had lost their homes already were taking refuge at the hospital, run by the Anglican Church.

- 'Collective punishment'

WCC general secretary Rev. Jerry Pillay said. "The attack amounts to collective punishment, which is a war crime under International Law."
Earlier, the WHO had strongly condemned Israel's repeated orders to evacuate 22 hospitals treating more than 2,000 inpatients in northern Gaza.

It said the forced evacuation of patients and health workers will further worsen the current humanitarian and public health catastrophe.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk also condemned the hospital attack.
"Words fail me. Tonight, hundreds of people were killed – horrifically – in a massive strike at Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, including patients, healthcare workers, and families that had been seeking refuge in and around the hospital. Once again, the most vulnerable. This is totally unacceptable," said Turk.

He also said that at least six people were killed Tuesday afternoon when a school run by UNRWA, the UN agency in Gaza, was hit in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza's middle area. The school had been serving as a shelter for some 4,000 seeking refuge.