‘Undeniable war crime’: Envoy slams Israeli bombing of hospital in Syria
Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations condemned the Israeli strike attack on a medical facility near the Syria-Lebanon border, describing it as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and an undeniable war crime, Press TV reported.
“This heinous attack on humanitarian aid is a flagrant violation of international law and an egregious attack on life-saving relief efforts,” Amir Saeid Iravani said in letters to UN Security Council president Pascale Baeriswyl and UN chief António Guterres.
“The humanitarian facility was established by the Iranian Red Crescent solely to provide critical assistance to displaced Lebanese civilians and victims of the Israeli regime’s relentless and barbaric aggression, offering a vital lifeline to those suffering in the face of such atrocities,” he added.
He emphasized that the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran had formally informed the International Committee of the Red Cross of its intention to establish the humanitarian aid center.
Iravani said the Iranian humanitarian aid depot included 200 hospital beds, a fully equipped field hospital with 56 beds and advanced medical equipment, oxygen production units, critical medical items, two mobile bakery machines, food and drinking water, 5,000 food packages, and other vital shelter materials.
“Yet, despite its clear humanitarian purpose, the facility and its supplies were completely destroyed in this savage and terrorist attack,” he said.
“The deliberate targeting of humanitarian and medical facilities by the Israeli regime is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and constitutes an undeniable war crime. Under international law, any attack on civilian infrastructure, particularly humanitarian and medical facilities, equipment, and hospitals, is unequivocally prohibited.”
Iravani called on the Security Council to condemn the heinous crime in the strongest possible terms, and to take immediate and decisive action to prevent further violations by the Zionist regime.
“In light of the ongoing genocidal war and relentless aggression by the Israeli occupying regime against the people of Palestine and Lebanon, the Security Council must fulfill its duty to protect civilians, humanitarian aid workers, and medical facilities. International law must be upheld, and these egregious crimes cannot go unanswered. In this regard, the Security Council must act to ensure accountability and prevent further atrocities,” he said.
Israeli strike on hospital ‘a war crime’
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi also condemned Israel’s attack on the charity hospital on the Syria-Lebanon border, calling it “a war crime.”
“It is also considered a violation of the principles and rules of international humanitarian law contained in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the customary international humanitarian rules, which absolutely prohibit any attack on civilian places and centers, especially medical centers and hospitals,” Gharibabadi stated.
Since Israel’s offensive began on October 7 last year, the Israeli military has frequently targeted Gaza’s healthcare and education sectors.
Several hospitals, schools, colleges, and universities have been bombed, with hundreds of educational institutions, including 65 run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), either destroyed or damaged.
Despite calls from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the Israeli regime is pressing ahead with its genocidal war, aiming for the complete eradication of the Palestinians trapped in the besieged territory.