UN HR Chief calls for probe into Israeli strike near Beirut hospital
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UN High Commissioner Volker Turk has demanded an investigation into an Israeli occupation airstrike near a Beirut hospital, emphasizing the need to protect civilians and medical facilities under international law.
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UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk speaks at a news conference in Khartoum, Sudan, November 16, 2022. (AP)
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has called for a swift and thorough investigation into an Israeli strike near a hospital in southern Beirut. In a statement on Tuesday, he emphasized that hospitals, ambulances, and medical personnel are protected under international humanitarian law due to their critical role in saving lives.
"Hospitals, ambulances, and medical personnel are specifically protected under international humanitarian law because of their lifesaving function for the wounded and the sick," said Turk.
Turk stressed the need for all parties to assess the impact of military operations near hospitals, adhering to principles of proportionality and precaution. He also stated that "all feasible precautions must be taken to avoid, and in any event to minimize, incidental loss of civilian life" during what he called military actions.
Citing reports that four children were among at least 18 people killed in the strikes, and 60 others wounded, Turk said, "I am appalled," adding that "the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law concerning the protection of civilians must be respected."
It is important to note that this comes amid renewed Israeli occupation aggression against the Southern Suburb of Beirut.
'Israel' threatens al-Sahel Hospital in Beirut's suburbs
Yesterday, the Israeli occupation army's spokesperson alleged that Hezbollah stores "millions in gold and cash" underneath the al-Sahel Hospital in the Southern Suburb of Beirut. Usually, the occupation resorts to such lies and false pretenses in order to "justify" the bombing of medical facilities untouched.
In turn, Fadi Alameh, Director of Al-Sahel Hospital, condemned Israeli claims about his facility, calling them "fabrications and misinformation" aimed at weakening Lebanon's health sector. Al-Sahel Hospital, despite being a private institution with no political affiliations, has also been threatened by the Israeli occupation.
This comes after months of deliberate targeting of the Lebanese health sector in southern Lebanon alongside the systematic targeting of Civil Defense, paramedic, and ambulance teams across Lebanese territories.
Late in September of this year, Lebanon's Health Ministry announced plans to evacuate hospitals in southern Beirut as Israeli airstrikes intensified in the area.
In a statement, the ministry urged hospitals in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and other unaffected regions to suspend non-urgent cases until the end of the week in order to accommodate patients from the southern suburbs.
The move signals grave concerns that "Israel" may target hospitals in Lebanon, following its documented violations of international law in Gaza where medical facilities have recurrently been bombed. This fear is compounded by the recent escalation of airstrikes in southern Beirut, raising alarms about the safety of civilian infrastructure and medical institutions.
Read more: Israeli massacres in Lebanon continue unabated; civilians main target
