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Times of Oman
12 minutes ago
- Health
- Times of Oman
Iran urges WHO Chief to condemn "deliberate" military attacks on civilians, hold Israel and US accountable for war crimes
Geneva: Iran has urged World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to "strongly and unequivocally" condemn the deliberate military attacks on civilians and healthcare infrastructure and hold Israel and the United States regimes accountable for these alleged war crimes, under international law. In a letter addressed to Ghebreyesus on June 27, the Permanent Mission of Iran to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva detailed the casualties that occurred in Iran during 12 days of the ongoing conflict. "I write to formally bring to your attention the unlawful and reckless military attacks carried out by the Israeli regime and the United States of America against the Islamic Republic of Iran between 13 and 24 June 2025. These reprehensible actions, which during the war of aggression deliberately targeted civilian populations, healthcare facilities, and Iran's safeguarded nuclear infrastructure, constitute flagrant violations of international law, including the UN Charter and "its vision and principles of lasting peace," the letter read. According to the letter, the attacks resulted in 627 fatalities, including women, children, and medical personnel, while 4,935 individuals were injured. The letter further highlighted that 29 relief workers from the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) were among the injured. "The 12 days of war of aggression have resulted in 627 civilian losses of life, including women and children and medical personnel and 4,935 civilians' injuries, including 29 IRCS relief workers," the letter stated. "In light of these violations, the Islamic Republic of Iran urgently calls upon the World Health Organization (WHO) to strongly and unequivocally condemn these deliberate attacks on civilians and healthcare infrastructure, Hold the Israeli regime accountable for these war crimes under international law, and Enforce steps to prevent further breaches of international humanitarian law," it added. In the letter, Iran's Permanent Mission described the attack against women, healthcare workers, medical centres and essential civilian infrastructure as "war crimes under international law." In the letter, it said, "The premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified assault against my country and attacking women. Children, healthcare workers, medical centres, and essential civilian infrastructure amount to war crimes under international law. Among the seriously affected healthcare facilities are: 1. Hakim Children's Hospital (Tehran); 2. Labbafi-nejad Hospital(Tehran); 3. Farabi Hospital (Kermanshah): 4. Healthcare Center (Mianrahan City): 5. Ghasr-e-Shirin Rehabilitation Center, 6. Central Building of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS, Tehran): 7. Eleven ambulances and numerous other medical and civilian sites." It also mentioned that the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-safeguarded nuclear facilities posed a "grave danger, risking radiological disaster and endangering civilian lives in Iran and the region" and stressed that these actions "contravene the WHO Constitution, which opposes threats to public health, as affirmed by numerous WHO resolutions, including WHA78(28)." On June 13, Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion," targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites. Iran retaliated with "Operation True Promise 3," a drone and missile campaign targeting Israeli infrastructure. The US joined the conflict early Sunday (local time) with "Operation Midnight Hammer," targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, which prompted Iran to strike US bases in Qatar and Iraq. Hours after Iran targeted American airbases in the West Asia, Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire."
Asharq Al-Awsat
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli Military Orders War Crime Probe into Gaza Shootings, Paper Says
Israel's Military Advocate General has ordered an investigation into possible war crimes over allegations that Israeli forces deliberately fired at Palestinian civilians near Gaza aid distribution sites, Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed over the past month in the vicinity of areas where food was being handed out, local hospitals and officials have said. Haaretz, a left-leaning Israeli newspaper, quoted unnamed Israeli soldiers as saying they were told to fire at the crowds to keep them back, using unnecessary lethal force against people who appeared to pose no threat. The military told Reuters that the Israeli army had not instructed soldiers to deliberately shoot at civilians. It added that it was looking to improve "the operational response" in the aid areas and had recently installed new fencing and signs, and opened additional routes to reach the handout zones. Haaretz quoted unnamed sources as saying that the army unit established to review incidents that may involve breaches of international law had been tasked with examining soldiers' actions near aid locations over the past month. The military told Reuters that some incidents were being reviewed by relevant authorities. It added: "Any allegation of a deviation from the law or army directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary." There is an acute shortage of food and other basic supplies after the nearly two-year-old military campaign by Israel against Hamas in Gaza that has reduced much of the enclave to rubble and displaced most of its two million inhabitants. Thousands of people gather around distribution centers desperately awaiting the next deliveries, but there have been near daily reports of shootings and killings on the approach routes. Medics said six people were killed by gunfire on Friday as they sought to get food in the southern Gaza Strip. MORE THAN 500 HAVE DIED, GAZA AUTHORITIES SAY In all, more than 500 people have died near aid centers operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) or in areas where U.N. food trucks were set to pass since late May, the Gaza health authorities have said. The unnamed Israeli soldiers told Haaretz that military commanders had ordered troops to shoot at the crowds of Palestinians to disperse them and clear the area. During a closed-door meeting with senior Military Advocate General officials this week, legal representatives rejected army claims that the incidents were isolated cases, Haaretz reported. There has been widespread confusion about access to the aid, with the army imposing for a time a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on approach routes to GHF sites. But locals often have to set out well before dawn to have any chance of retrieving food. In a statement late on Friday, a GHF spokesperson said there had been no incidents or fatalities to date at or in the immediate vicinity of its distribution sites. The statement said the army is tasked with providing safe passage for aid-seekers to all humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, including GHF. "GHF is not aware of any of these incidents but these allegations are too grave to ignore and we therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner," the spokesperson said. The Gaza war began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage into the enclave. In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to local health authorities in Gaza. The Gaza health ministry said on Friday that at least 72 people were killed and more than 170 wounded by Israeli fire across Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours.
Al Arabiya
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israeli military orders war crime probe into Gaza shootings, paper says
Israel's Military Advocate General has ordered an investigation into possible war crimes over allegations that Israeli forces deliberately fired at Palestinian civilians near Gaza aid distribution sites, Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed over the past month in the vicinity of areas where food was being handed out, local hospitals and officials have said. Haaretz, a left-leaning Israeli newspaper, quoted unnamed Israeli soldiers as saying they were told to fire at the crowds to keep them back, using unnecessary lethal force against people who appeared to pose no threat. The military told Reuters that the Israelis army had not instructed soldiers to deliberately shoot at civilians. It added that it was looking to improve 'the operational response' in the aid areas and had recently installed new fencing and signs, and opened additional routes to reach the handout zones. Haaretz quoted unnamed sources as saying that the army unit established to review incidents that may involve breaches of international law had been tasked with examining soldiers' actions near aid locations over the past month. The military told Reuters that some incidents were being reviewed by relevant authorities. It added: 'Any allegation of a deviation from the law or [Israeli army] directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary.' There is an acute shortage of food and other basic supplies after the nearly two-year-old military campaign by Israel against Hamas militants in Gaza that has reduced much of the enclave to rubble and displaced most of its two million inhabitants. Thousands of people gather around distribution centers desperately awaiting the next deliveries, but there have been near daily reports of shootings and killings on the approach routes. Medics said six people were killed by gunfire on Friday as they sought to get food in the southern Gaza Strip. More than 500 have died, Gaza authorities say In all, more than 500 people have died near aid centers operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) or in areas where UN food trucks were set to pass since late May, the Gaza health authorities have said. The unnamed Israeli soldiers told Haaretz that military commanders had ordered troops to shoot at the crowds of Palestinians to disperse them and clear the area. During a closed-door meeting with senior Military Advocate General officials this week, legal representatives rejected the Israeli army's claims that the incidents were isolated cases, Haaretz reported. There has been widespread confusion about access to the aid, with the army imposing for a time a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on approach routes to GHF sites. But locals often have to set out well before dawn to have any chance of retrieving food. In a statement late on Friday, a GHF spokesperson said there had been no incidents or fatalities to date at or in the immediate vicinity of its distribution sites. The statement said the Israeli army is tasked with providing safe passage for aid-seekers to all humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza, including GHF. 'GHF is not aware of any of these incidents but these allegations are too grave to ignore and we therefore call on Israel to investigate them and transparently publish the results in a timely manner,' the spokesperson said. The Gaza war began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage into the enclave. In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to local health authorities in Gaza. The Gaza health ministry said on Friday that at least 72 people were killed and more than 170 wounded by Israeli fire across Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours.
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
IDF opens inquiry into possible war crimes after deaths near Gaza aid sites
The Israeli military has launched an investigation into possible war crimes following growing evidence that troops have deliberately fired at Palestinian civilians gathering to receive aid in Gaza. Hundreds of people have been killed in recent weeks after being subjected to air attacks, shootings and bombardments by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) while waiting for food to be distributed or while making their way todistribution sites. On Friday the Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted unnamed Israeli soldiers as saying they had been told to fire at crowds near food distribution sites to keep them away from Israeli military positions. The soldiers said they had concerns about using unnecessary lethal force against people who appeared to pose no threat. Haaretz also quoted unnamed sources as saying that the army unit established to review incidents that may involve breaches of international law had been tasked with examining soldiers' actions near distribution locations over the past month. In a statement reported by Israeli media, the IDF rejected the accusations, saying that no forces had been ordered 'to deliberately shoot at civilians, including those approaching the distribution centers'. 'To be clear, IDF directives prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians,' the IDF said. In a joint statement issued late on Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, and Israel Katz, the defence minister, accused Haaretz of 'malicious falsehoods designed to defame the IDF, the most moral military in the world'. Food has become extremely scarce in Gaza since a tight blockade on all supplies was imposed by Israel throughout March and April, threatening many of the 2.3 million people who live there with famine. Since the blockade was partly lifted last month, the UN has tried to bring in aid but has faced major obstacles, including rubble-choked roads, Israeli military restrictions, continuing airstrikes and growing anarchy. Hundreds of trucks have been looted by armed gangs and by crowds of desperate Palestinians. On Thursday, 18 people were killed in an Israeli strike targeting Palestinian police distributing flour in a market in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah on Thursday, medical officials said. The strike appears to have targeted members of a security force set up by the Hamas-led interior ministry to target looters and merchants who sell stolen aid at high prices. The unit, known as Sahm, or Arrow, confiscates stolen aid which it then distributes. Witnesses said many of the casualties were ordinary civilians who had gathered to receive sacks of flour from a warehouse near the Baraka crossroads in the northern part of Deir al-Balah. The dead included a child and at least seven Sahm members, according to the nearby al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, where casualties were taken. There was no immediate comment on the attack from the Israeli military. Razeq Abu Mandil, a paramedic from al-Maghazi refugee camp, said: 'Among the injured were men, women, and children. In my ambulance, there was a woman and her daughter – both wounded. 'When we arrived, there were people torn to pieces – severely wounded and dead … We started transporting the injured and the dead to the hospital, then returned again to load the ambulances. I repeated this three or four times. The situation in the hospital was catastrophic.' Ahmed Abu Zubeida, from nearby al-Bureij, was among the wounded. 'I was far from the point of impact but some shrapnel injured my leg. I looked around and saw people lying on the ground – torn bodies, wounded individuals, blood and its smell filling the air, cries and screams,' the 36-year-old said. The strike came shortly after Israel closed crossings into northern Gaza, cutting the most direct route for aid to the parts of the territory where the humanitarian crisis is most acute. For most of the war, aid in Gaza was distributed mainly by the UN and other international humanitarian organisations, but Israel said Hamas diverted and sold supplies to finance its military and other operations. The UN and other aid groups deny the charge and say their monitoring of their distribution networks is robust. Israel has backed an American private contractor, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which started distributing food boxes in Gaza last month from four hubs. To reach the GHF sites, which open intermittently and unpredictably and often at night, Palestinians must cross rubble-strewn roads and Israeli military zones where witnesses say troops often fire on them with mortars, tanks and machine guns. A senior aid official in Gaza said many of the shootings occurred in darkness when civilians gathered near Israeli troops to wait for distribution sites to open or to receive aid looted from trucks. 'The soldiers fire to keep them away, or because they don't know who is there, or because they don't care, or all three,' the official said. Medical records from independent NGOs working in Gaza, seen by the Guardian, confirm hundreds of lethal injuries from bullets and some from shelling. The IDF insists its internal processes are robust but critics say few investigations are thoroughly pursued and only a tiny fraction result in any sanction. Israel has continued to allow a smaller number of aid trucks into Gaza for distribution by the UN and other organisations, with about 70 entering the territory each day on Monday and Tuesday. On Thursday, Israel shut entry points used to access directly the north of the territory, where the need for aid is greatest. António Guterres, the UN secretary general, said on Friday that the US-backed aid operation in Gaza is 'inherently unsafe', giving a blunt assessment: 'It is killing people.' 'People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence,' Guterres told reporters. The war was triggered by a Hamas attack on southern Israel in which militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. The overall death toll in Gaza in the 20-month conflict has reached 56,331 fatalities, mostly civilians, according to local health authorities. Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report
Arab News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Israeli military orders war crime probe into Gaza aid shootings, Haaretz reports
JERUSALEM: Israel's Military Advocate General has ordered an investigation into possible war crimes over allegations that Israeli forces deliberately fired at Palestinian civilians near Gaza aid distribution sites, Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed over the past month in the vicinity of areas where food was being handed out, local hospitals and officials have said. Haaretz, a left-leaning Israeli newspaper, quoted unnamed Israeli soldiers as saying they were told to fire at the crowds to keep them back, using unnecessary lethal force against people who appeared to pose no threat. The military told Reuters that the Israel Defense Forces had not instructed soldiers to deliberately shoot at civilians. It added that it was looking to improve 'the operational response' in the aid areas and had recently installed new fencing and signs, and opened additional routes to reach the handout zones. Haaretz quoted unnamed sources as saying that the army unit established to review incidents that may involve breaches of international law had been tasked with examining soldiers' actions near aid locations over the past month. The military told Reuters that some incidents were being reviewed by relevant authorities. It added: 'Any allegation of a deviation from the law or IDF directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary.' There is an acute shortage of food and other basic supplies after the nearly two-year-old military campaign by Israel against Hamas militants in Gaza that has reduced much of the enclave to rubble and displaced most of its two million inhabitants. Thousands of people gather around distribution centers desperately awaiting the next deliveries, but there have been near daily reports of shootings and killings on the approach routes. Medics said six people were killed by gunfire on Friday as they sought to get food in southern Gaza Strip. In all, more than 500 people have died near aid centers operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) or in areas where UN food trucks were set to pass since late May, the Gaza health authorities have said. The unnamed Israeli soldiers told Haaretz that military commanders had ordered troops to shoot at the crowds of Palestinians to disperse them and clear the area. During a closed-door meeting with senior Military Advocate General officials this week, legal representatives rejected IDF claims that the incidents were isolated cases, Haaretz reported. There has been widespread confusion about access to the aid, with the army imposing for a time a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on approach routes to GHF sites. But locals often have to set out well before dawn to have any chance of retrieving food. The Gaza war began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage into the enclave. In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to local health authorities in Gaza. The Gaza health ministry said on Friday that at least 72 people were killed and more than 170 wounded by Israeli fire across Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours.
