Israeli military destroyed el-Wafa hospital even though it knew there were no weapons inside
The night of the shelling, Alashi asked me to inquire with the IDF why they fired on the hospital. When I told him they said it was fired on because it was within 100 meters of a rocket site, but they knew the hospital itself was clean of munitions he said, “My authority, my control is within my premises, it is my hospital. I cannot control what people do 100 meters from me.” He reiterated, “My control is my hospital, my staff my patients. I have nothing to do with what happens 100 meters from the hospital,” adding “A hospital should not be involved in any conflict according to Geneva law.”
According to*International Humanitarian Law (IHL) hospitals are protected sites.*Article 19 of the Fourth Geneva Convention*also states:*“The protection to which civilian hospitals are entitled shall not cease unless they are used to commit…acts harmful to the enemy.” The Geneva Convention also requires “a reasonable time limit,” for allowing an evacuation. If a hospital is used to launch weapons, under IHL it can only be targeted when there is an imminent strike originating from the location. Even storing caches of weapons do not meet international law’s stringent threshold for firing on humanitarian sites.
Israeli military destroyed el-Wafa hospital even though it knew there were no weapons inside | Mondoweiss
