Several members of the UN Security Council on Friday expressed concern over Israeli attacks on the hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
"The deliberate targeting of hospitals medical personnel, patients and wounded defies every principle of humanitarian law and has no justification," Asim Iftikhar, Pakistan's envoy to the UN told a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.
The meeting came following last week's raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital and the arbitrary arrest and detention of its director, Hussam Abu Safiya.
Iftikhar said nowhere on earth is international humanitarian law being "trampled" as is the case in Gaza, noting that Israeli actions are without justification and urgently require accountability.
"The scale of this genocidal campaign is staggering. Its intent unmistakable. Gaza's homes, schools, hospitals and even its cultural heritage lay in ruins. Even the UN and its personnel have not been spared. This is not a war," said Iftikhar.
"It is a campaign of dispossession, ethnic cleansing and annihilation, the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the systematic destruction of critical infrastructure are not isolated incidents. These are calculated acts aimed at erasing an entire people from their homeland," he said.
The ambassador also called on the Council to shoulder its responsibility and not to turn a "blind eye" to the tragedy. "Silence is complicity," he added.
France's envoy to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, said France condemns the recent Israeli military operations targeting several hospitals, in particular that of Kamal Adwan.
"Israel must obey international humanitarian law. This requires respect for and protection of medical staff and infrastructure," he said.
Calling on Israel to allow humanitarian aid, de Riviere said all crossing points should be open and humanitarian convoys and staff must be protected.
Algeria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Amar Bendjama said ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, has a "clear and alarming objective" which is "ethnic cleansing" especially in Gaza's north.
"The Israeli occupying power aims to erode the resilience of the Palestinian people. We must act together to put an end to this tragedy," he said.
Bendjama also called on the Council to demand an "immediate, unconditional and permanent" cease-fire in Gaza.
US deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dorothy Shea said civilians cannot be left without functioning hospitals or adequate medical care.
"It is vital for Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and to take every possible step to prevent civilian harm, notably as it relates to patients receiving care at Kamal Adwan Hospital, and medical professionals dedicated to treating the population," she said.
The US made clear to Israel that it must do more to address these preventable humanitarian shortfalls, Shea added.
Russian envoy to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya said Moscow is "gravely concerned" at Israel's ongoing shelling and bombardment of civilian objects on the territory of the Gaza Strip.
Calling on Israel to obey with the international humanitarian law, Nebenzya said hospitals cannot become battlefields.
"They may not be used for military purposes. And medical workers need to have opportunities to unimpededly fulfill their civilian duty and their moral duty," he added.
Israel has killed more than 45,550 victims, mostly women and children, in Gaza since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
