UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health Tlaleng Mofokeng expressed outrage at the death of a third physician from Gaza while in Israeli custody and renewed call for the protection of healthcare workers across the occupied Palestinian territory.
In a press release on Tuesday, Mofokeng strongly condemned Israeli occupation authorities’ treatment of medical professionals and their disregard for the right to health.
“On the cusp of the one-year anniversary of the genocide I continue to be shocked at Israel’s blatant disregard for the right to health in Gaza and the rest of the occupied territory” she said. “Dr. Ziad Eldalou is the third doctor confirmed to have died while detained by Israel since 7 October 2023,” Mofokeng added.
The UN expert stated that Dr. ELdalou – an internal medicine physician at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, was detained alongside other healthcare workers during an Israeli military raid on the hospital on 18 March 2024. He died in custody just days later on 21 March 2024.
She no
ted that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 885 health workers have been killed in Gaza the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 7 October 2023 and 1043 health-related attacks have been documented in the region during the same period. To date at least 128 other health workers remain arbitrarily detained by Israeli forces according to the World Health Organization.
The UN expert stressed that the targeting of medical personnel and facilities during conflicts violates international law including the right of individuals to access healthcare services. Such actions Mofokeng warned may constitute war crimes.
The UN expert also called for the immediate release of all detained healthcare professionals and demanded independent investigations into their detentions and deaths.
“A people’s inability to fully exercise their right to self-determination impacts the enjoyment of all their fundamental rights including the right to health. Immediately cease fire. End the occupation. End the genocide,” she concl
uded.
Source: Kuwait News Agency