Palestinian Ministry of Health: Israeli forces raid the courtyard of a hospital in Bethlehem

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that Israeli forces raided the courtyard of the Arab Rehabilitation Society Hospital in the city of Bethlehem, located in the southern part of the occupied West Bank.

In a written statement, the Ministry stated that Israeli forces entered the hospital courtyard, terrified patients and their relatives, and assaulted several individuals.

CALL TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The statement emphasized that hospitals and health centers are protected areas under international law. It was stated that raiding health facilities and threatening or attacking patients or medical staff constitutes a serious violation of international conventions.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health noted that such violations threaten the security of healthcare services and the right of patients to receive treatment in a safe environment, and called on international health and human rights organizations, primarily the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to intervene immediately.

Tensions have also risen in the West Bank since the war on the Gaza Strip began in October 2023. According to Palestinian sources, at least 1,183 Palestinians have lost their lives, approximately 13 thousand people have been injured, and 25 thousand people have been detained in the region during this period.

Approximately 750 thousand Israelis live in 156 settlements and 360 illegal outposts in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. According to the July 6 report by the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, 3,488 attacks against Palestinians and their property were recorded in the first half of the year.