Several prominent international human rights organizations have chosen not to condemn Iran’s airstrikes on hospitals in southern Israel, which have heightened tensions between the two nations.
After a strike on the Soroka Medical Center, among the groups that did not speak out is Amnesty International. An unpublished statement regarding the incident indicates that about 80 individuals were injured, mainly from debris and broken glass, according to reports. Most of the injuries were, well, quite serious.
Amnesty International mentioned that they are currently reviewing the case and could not provide immediate comments, as their research team is still investigating. Interestingly, despite this, the group has continued to criticize Israel on social media, calling out actions against Palestinians. Yet, they haven’t taken the same stance on Iran’s actions.
Human Rights Watch also declined to comment, citing that their staff was either on vacation or unavailable.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Institute for Foreign Policy shifted some of the blame from Iran. They stated, in an email, that Israel should not position civilian facilities near military installations. They also referred to past actions where Israel had bombed hospitals in Gaza, asserting that these strikes were generally aimed at Hamas.
The only significant condemnation of the attack on the Soroka Medical Center came from the Church for Middle Eastern Peace, which insisted that hospitals must be safeguarded as sanctuaries for healing, free from the threats of bombing or warfare.
Several organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Non-Violence International, and Pax for Peace, did not respond to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
This lack of response has raised eyebrows, particularly since these groups have historically been vocal in their criticism of Israel during conflicts. One observer suggested that they have manipulated human rights principles to vilify the nation.
Notably, just a few days after October 7, 2023, UN human rights officials accused Israel of war crimes amid claims that around 1,200 people were killed. Yet, members of Israel’s own parliament have also been called out for similar human rights violations regarding their treatment of Palestinians.
