UN Expert Condemns Attack On Al-Ahli Hospital In Gaza

GENEVA (17 April 2025) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, today condemned the Israeli attack on Al-Ahli hospital, the last functioning hospital in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, saying the many months of coruscant violence continues to make the provision of health care services even more impossible in a system that was already brought to its knees.

“I am horrified to learn that the war on hospitals, health care providers and civilians continues, making the provision of health services even more impossible in a system that has already been brought to its knees,” Mofokeng said.

Al-Ahli Hospital was hit by an airstrike on 13 April 2025, destroying the emergency department and causing the death of a child due to lack of access to appropriate care.

“With this latest attack on the health system, the options for health care – especially emergency care – for the people of Gaza are reduced to zero, and Israel continues to operate with impunity,” the expert said. “The health care system has been decimated.”

The Special Rapporteur recalled that health workers, as primary responders in the provision of health services, are exposed to harassment, intimidation and death on a daily basis as they attempt to save the lives of the Palestinian people.

“Health care facilities and health workers must be protected under international law,” she said.

The World Health Organization has reported at least 670 health attacks from 7 October 2023 to 14 March 2025, including 122 health facilities affected and 33 hospitals damaged.

“This is completely unacceptable,” Mofokeng said. She stressed that the people of Gaza deserve dignity and the restoration of health services after more than 18 months of attacks and limited or non-existent access for medical aid and supplies into the enclave since the beginning of the Israeli attacks.

The expert reiterated her call on the international community and world leaders to use all means at their disposal to end the war and save the lives and dignity of the people of Gaza, who have survived through these atrocities for more than a year and a half.

“I appeal to your humanity and any remaining capacity you may have left for action to preserve the population of Gaza,” she said.

Note:

*Ms. Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent fromany government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.

Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/

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