Massacres against civilians are considered a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits targeting civilians or endangering their lives and safety during armed conflicts. International agreements, including the 1977 Additional Protocol I, require states and combatants to distinguish between military objectives and civilians, criminalizing any deliberate attack or assault on civilians. Article 27 of the Geneva Convention mandates that civilians must be protected at all times from acts of violence, and their lives, physical, or mental integrity must not be violated, including through violence, assault, murder, or torture.
Eyewitness Recalls Details of What Happened Inside Al-Shifa Medical Complex
One of the survivors from Al-Shifa Medical Complex in the north of Gaza City recounted the initial moments of the attack, which began with Israeli occupation aircraft bombing the hospital courtyard, followed by the forced expulsion and abuse of young men and displaced persons. He also described the presence of numerous bodies of children and women lying along the evacuation route.
Survivors’ Testimonies of Al-Shifa Hospital Massacres
Israeli occupation forces stormed Al-Shifa Hospital, which was sheltering thousands of patients and displaced persons. They conducted a wide-scale arrest campaign and executed killings among the displaced, while bombarding homes surrounding the hospital. This assault resulted in hundreds of martyrs and wounded, forcing those who remained alive to flee to the southern part of Gaza Strip.
