Geneva, United Nations human rights experts have issued a warning that Israel’s alleged extrajudicial killings of three Palestinian men at the Ibn Sina hospital in Jenin, occupied West Bank, could represent serious breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law, potentially amounting to war crimes.
According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on January 29, approximately ten armed members of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police, disguised as medical personnel and civilians, entered the hospital. Captured on CCTV, they brought a wheelchair and a doll in a baby carrier, ultimately leading to the shooting and killing of Basel Ayman Al-Ghazawi, a patient, his brother Muhammad Ayman Al-Ghazawi, and visitor Muhammed Walid Jalamna. Israel has claimed the men were involved with Palestinian armed groups.
The experts stressed that Israel’s actions, irrespective of the allegations against the men, must adhere to the principles of international human rights and humanitarian law. Specifically, they highlighted that in occupied territories, where active hostilities are not occurring, Israeli forces might have been entitled only to arrest or detain the individuals, using lethal force solely as a last resort to prevent imminent threats.
The killing of a defenseless, injured patient receiving hospital care was specifically cited as potentially constituting a war crime. Furthermore, the experts condemned the Israeli forces’ deceptive use of medical disguises as a breach of the prohibition against perfidy, a war crime under international law.
The UN experts have called upon Israel to conduct a thorough and effective investigation in accordance with international standards, aimed at prosecuting and penalizing those responsible for these alleged crimes. They also urged for measures to prevent future violations, provide reparations to the victims, and address the broader issue of impunity for violations of international law by Israeli personnel.
In the event of Israel’s failure to promptly investigate these incidents, the experts suggested that the International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor should initiate an investigation. They also called on all states to uphold their legal obligations to ensure adherence to international law, including human rights and humanitarian law in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and to support ongoing investigations by the International Criminal Court.
These events occur against a backdrop of increasing fatalities among Palestinians due to actions by Israeli forces in the West Bank, following an attack on Israel by Palestinian armed groups on October 7, 2023. The experts also noted concerns regarding Israel’s use of counter-terrorism laws and their impact on medical establishments and personnel, which are protected under international humanitarian law.