'Israel' tortures Palestinian doctor of Kamal Adwan Hospital to death
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Gaza's Government Media Office issues a statement strongly condemning the Israeli occupation army's atrocities against medical personnel.
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Late Iyad al-Rantisi, the head of the Obstetrics-Gynecology Department at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the North of Gaza (X)
Dr. Iyad al-Rantisi, the head of the Obstetrics-Gynecology Department at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the North of Gaza, was killed in November while being interrogated by Shin Bet, "Israel's" internal security service, revealed Haaretz on June 18.
Dr. al-Rantisi, 53, served as the director of a women's hospital affiliated with Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, located in the northern Gaza Strip. He was abducted on November 11 at an Israeli army checkpoint while forced to be displaced to the south of Gaza to avoid Israeli bombings in the northern region. Subsequently, Dr. al-Rantisi's family and colleagues at the hospital received no information about his whereabouts, leading to concerns that he had been killed in Israeli custody.
Dr.Iyad Rantisi who is the head of Obstetrics Gynecology department at Kamal Edwan hospital in the North of Gaza has been missing for months since November. Some of his colleagues reported that he was being tortured in an Israeli prison. Today The Israeli Newspaper Haaretz said… pic.twitter.com/MGMMzGJqxL
— Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) June 18, 2024
Six days later, Dr. al-Rantisi was pronounced dead at Shikma Prison, where a Shin Bet interrogation facility is located.
Dr. al-Rantisi's killing allegedly prompted an investigation by the "Justice Ministry's" unit responsible for probing complaints against Shin Bet interrogators. The Shin Bet claimed that Dr. al-Rantisi was being interrogated on suspicion of involvement in holding Israeli captives in Gaza.
According to Haaretz, the Israeli "Justice" Ministry concluded its investigation into the circumstances of Dr. al-Rantisi's death and is currently reviewing its findings. The case was initially shrouded in secrecy, as the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court imposed a six-month gag order following his death, which prohibited the publication of any details related to the case, including the existence of the gag order itself. The gag order expired in May, allowing Haaretz to report on the case.
Not an isolated incident
Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, a 53-year-old Palestinian physician and surgeon from Gaza, suffered fatal torture while in Israeli custody. Dr. al-Bursh, who headed the orthopedic surgery department at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, was arrested by Israeli forces in Khan Younis in December.
He died four months later, on April 19, at Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities have not provided any explanation regarding the circumstances surrounding Dr. al-Bursh's death.
Additionally, thirty-six Palestinians from Gaza who were detained at Sde Teiman detention facility have also reportedly died, believed to be under torture.
Read more: Gaza Al-Shifa doctor tortured to death by Israeli forces
Strong condemnation of atrocities
Simultaneously, Gaza's Government Media Office issued a statement strongly condemning the Israeli occupation army's atrocities against medical personnel.
The office emphasized the gravity of the situation, decrying what it termed as "brutal acts of arrest, killing, and execution" targeting healthcare professionals.
It also called on the international community, human rights organizations, and international institutions to unequivocally denounce these actions as heinous crimes.
Furthermore, the Office underscored the urgent need for legal protections for Palestinian medical staff, stressing their right to operate without fear of detention or violence under international humanitarian laws.
It urged for an immediate international investigation into these incidents, highlighting specific cases such as the recent deaths of Dr. Iyad al-Rantisi and Dr. Adnan al-Bursh. The office also called for the perpetrators of such crimes to be brought to justice in international courts.
In the same context, Gaza's Health Ministry appealed for swift action from the international community to pressure the Israeli authorities to release all detained healthcare personnel promptly and without delay.
The ministry also called for intensified efforts to uncover the fate of numerous medical staff who have reportedly been abducted while performing their essential duties in hospitals.
Read more: Harrowing tales of torture inside 'Israel's' Sde Teiman prison: NYT
