Iran has called for an international investigation into war crimes that the Israeli regime has committed during its siege and subsequent raid of al-Shifa Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip.
“Unfortunately, during the past couple of days, 180 patients, medical staff and Palestinian refugees who were besieged at al-Shifa Hospital have lost their lives due to [Israeli forces’] blind attacks and prevention of entry of basic foodstuff and medicine [into the complex], while survivors are prone to gradual death,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Sunday.
Nasser Kan’ani added that there are “horrendous reports” indicating that Israeli forces have embarked on torture, rape and massacre of Palestinian women trapped at the hospital.
“This issue requires the international community’s immediate and categorical measure, including the formation of an international investigation group to reveal the scope of Zionists’ war crimes at al-Shifa Hospital,” he said.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns blatant violation of international laws and regulations, including human rights and international humanitarian law, by the Zionist regime while highlighting the responsibility of the international community and Muslim governments for supporting the oppressed nation of Palestine,” he said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated that global measures must be taken by governments and international bodies to bring perpetrators of such crimes and their supporters to justice.
“Such savage crimes prove more than before the rightfulness of the Palestinian nation’s resort to resistance as their legitimate right, and will further strengthen the resolve and determination of the Palestinian nation and their … heroic resistance for achieving their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination,” Kan’ani concluded.
His remarks came as Israeli forces have been carrying out airstrikes and artillery shelling in and around al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Ever since the regime’s military raided the hospital last week, reports have suggested unspeakable atrocities being carried out against doctors, nurses, and general staff as well as thousands of displaced people there.
Israelis have admitted to executing 140 people inside al-Shifa, including paramedics, patients and the wounded whilst the siege is still ongoing after seven days with mass arrests.
A new report has also emerged in which a Palestinian woman has recounted terrifying incidents after Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying the occupying regime’s soldiers have raped Palestinian women before killing them.
Jamila al-Hisi, an eyewitness who was trapped in the medical complex and managed to finally get out, said on Saturday that women have been subjected to rape, starvation, torture, and extrajudicial execution, adding that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is doing nothing.
She went on to say that Israeli troops have “forced 65 families to leave the area around the al-Shifa Medical Complex whilst burning and killing entire families,” noting that they have burned a building where Palestinian civilians were taking shelter.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at the time that about 3,000 people were inside al-Shifa seeking refuge and that those attempting to leave were being targeted by Israeli snipers and fire from helicopters.
Since the start of its genocide in Gaza, Israel has killed at least 32,226 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured 74,518 others.
The regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, medicine and water to more than two million Palestinians living there.
