PAPISMA PRESS STATEMENT
“ATTACK ON HOSPITAL – A WAR CRIME”
PAPISMA condemned the brutal assault on Al ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza. Hospitals and medical personnel are protected under international humanitarian law. The Fourth Geneva Convention states that civilian hospitals may under no circumstances be the object of attack, but they shall at all times be respected and protected by the parties to the conflict. Additionally, the Convention requires states that are parties to a conflict to provide all civilian hospitals with certificates showing that they are civilian hospitals and that the buildings which they occupy are not used for any purpose that would deprive these hospitals of protection.
Under international humanitarian law, all warring parties have an obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and objects, and unlawful attacks committed deliberately or recklessly are considered war crimes.
Assaults on hospitals during conflict are one of the six grave violations identified and condemned by the UN Security Council, and both schools and hospitals are protected as civilian objects under international humanitarian law.
Direct physical attacks and the closure of these institutions as a result of direct threats have been added as triggers for inclusion on the list of parties to conflict committing grave violations against children in armed conflict since 2011.
It is important to raise awareness about this issue and advocate for the protection of hospitals and medical personnel during war. By doing so, we can help prevent unnecessary harm to innocent civilians and ensure that international humanitarian law is upheld.
PAPISMA
19 Oct 2023
