Palestine condemns unprovoked Israeli attack on Hebron hospital

The Palestinian health ministry condemned an Israeli attack on a hospital in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on Friday.

Occupying Israeli forces fired tear gas grenades into the accident and emergency department of Hebron Governmental Hospital, suffocating a number of citizens and staff working in the hospital.

Health minister Mai Alkaila on Saturday condemned the assault and called on the international community to intervene in Israel's lack of adherence to international law.

“The occupation forces fired a tear gas grenade inside the emergency courtyard of the hospital, which led to the suffocation of a number of people and hospital staff,” she said in a statement.

Israeli occupation forces fired a tear gas grenade into the emergency Department of Hebron Governmental Hospital, suffocating a number of citizens and staff working in the hospital, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. pic.twitter.com/sH6ykU4qVx

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) September 23, 2022

Witnesses said the attack was completely unjustified and there were no tensions taking place at the time Israeli forces fired the tear gas.

“This attack is another in a series of Israeli attacks against hospitals, medical centres and staff, and ambulances,” she added.

Israel has occupied the West Bank illegally since 1967, and commits various abuses against Palestinian civilians.

Israeli forces and settlers routinely harass Palestinians in the occupied territories by demolishing homes, poisoning livestock, vandalising property and carrying out often deadly violent attacks.

Hebron is a particularly hostile environment for Palestinians due to a large number of Israeli settlers in the city.

Around 800 ultra-nationalist Israeli settlers live in the heart of Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank. The settler enclave is protected by twice as many Israeli soldiers.