Red Cross: Hospitals Must be Protected in Times of War

Protection of hospitals and health workers is both a legal obligation and morally necessary, says the Red Cross after several attacks on hospitals in Gaza.

Secretary General Anne Bergh of the Red Cross reminds that “health personnel, hospitals, ambulances and patients have the right to protection and should not be attacked”.

– Protection of health workers and structures is not only a legal obligation, but also morally absolutely necessary to preserve human life in these dark times, says Bergh in a press release.

– Any military operation around hospitals must consider the presence of civilians, who are protected under international humanitarian law, emphasizes the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). They urgently call for medical facilities, patients and health workers in Gaza to be protected and respected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 20 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza have been destroyed or have had to close. On Friday, the Palestinian Red Crescent stated that Israeli snipers fired at Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City. The organization nevertheless does what it can to maintain operations at the hospital.

The Shifa hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, has been hit by several attacks and is also overwhelmed by patients. Thousands of those displaced in the month-long war have sought refuge on the hospital’s premises, writes the Red Cross.