UN denounces Israeli destruction of Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza

The UN on Friday denounced Israel's destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza, which was built by Türkiye and operated by local authorities as a cancer treatment center.

Responding to Anadolu's question on the attack, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told a news conference: "We certainly are against any of the attacks on medical infrastructure."

"All attacks against medical infrastructure by any of the parties is a violation of international humanitarian law, and we stand opposed to this," he said.

Citing previous Israeli attacks on hospitals in the Gaza Strip – potential war crimes – Haq stressed that it "is an intolerable situation for the suffering population."

Since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli military has systematically targeted Gaza's health care system – bombing and besieging hospitals, ordering evacuations, and blocking medical supplies, particularly in northern Gaza.

More than 700 Palestinians have been killed and over 900 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that had held since January.

Nearly 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 112,000 injured in Israel's military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

*Serife Cetin in New York contributed to the story