Israeli crimes at Ibn Sina hospital may amount to war crimes: UN panel
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On January 29, a group of 10 Israeli soldiers were seen running through the corridors of Ibn Sina hospital, disguised as veiled women and medical personnel, and carrying assault rifles.
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A staff member at Ibn Sina Hospital displays a blood-stained pillow following an Israeli attack in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024 (AP)
A panel of UN experts on Friday deemed that the murder of three Palestinian men at a hospital in the occupied West Bank could amount to war crimes.
The incident panelists referred to occurred on January 29 at the Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin. The assailants disguised themselves as civilians and carried out a raid on the hospital's third floor. They then murdered the three Palestinians using silenced weapons and fled the scene.
"Under international humanitarian law, killing a defenseless injured patient who is being treated in a hospital amounts to a war crime," the UN experts said in a statement. They specifically referenced Basel Al-Ghazzawi, a patient receiving treatment for injuries inflicted by an Israeli airstrike.
"By disguising themselves as seemingly harmless, protected medical personnel and civilians, the Israeli forces also prima facie committed the war crime of perfidy, which is prohibited in all circumstances," they added.
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CCTV footage from the hospital showed a group of 10 individuals, some dressed in civilian attire and others in medical uniforms, with three individuals wearing headscarves and women's clothing. They were seen walking through the hospital's corridors while carrying assault rifles.
Shortly after the crime was carried out, the Jenin division of Al-Qassam Brigades announced in a statement that a group of its Resistance fighters were martyred in "a cowardly assassination operation" carried out by an Israeli special force that infiltrated the Ibn Sina Hospital.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokeswoman Fatima Sator said that the matter will be raised in discussions with the relevant authorities.
"The ICRC notes with concern the Israeli security forces operation in a hospital in Jenin. Under international humanitarian law, hospitals and medical patients should be respected and protected at all times. The ICRC will address this as part of its confidential dialogue with the concerned authorities," the spokeswoman said.
