From the outbreak of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, until the end of June 2024, Israel carried out 136 attacks on 27 hospitals and 12 other healthcare facilities, according to a UN report published at the end of December.
Since then, further attacks have been carried out on healthcare in Gaza – most recently in Beit Lahia, where the Kamal Adwan hospital was subjected to intense raids during the winter.
Attacking hospitals is generally considered a war crime. Few exceptions exist, but one circumstance that can justify hospital attacks is if the facilities are used for military purposes.
Among the victims are many healthcare workers, and in mass graves discovered after Israel's attacks, bodies have been found with catheters and cannulas attached – which, according to the UN, suggests that the deceased were patients.
Responsibility to protect civilians
Israel claims that hospitals in Gaza are used as "hiding places" for terrorists, but according to the report from the UN's human rights organization OHCHR, the evidence presented by Israel for these allegations is vague.
Nor has the Swedish government been presented with sufficient evidence to confidently say that the attacks are taking place within the framework of proportionate self-defense.
We cannot answer that today. But there are reasons why we, the EU, and many countries have stated that Israel must take greater consideration for the civilian population, says Ulf Kristersson.
On the other hand, there is understanding for the difficulty of waging war in a densely populated area like Gaza, and there are reasons to suspect that civilians are being used as shields, continues the Prime Minister.
But still, the warring party has a responsibility to protect civilians. There, Israel receives criticism all the time, even from a united EU that is otherwise quite divided on the situation in the Middle East.
Reasons for concern
So no evidence has been presented to suggest that the attacks constitute an exception to international law?
I have not seen any evidence. Nor, for that matter, the opposite, but these are things that will be investigated very, very thoroughly. And there are reasons why almost the entire world expresses great concern about what is happening, says Kristersson.
