In response to an opinion piece in JAMA Surgery by Georgetown University researchers, which accused Israel of international law breaches and causing numerous innocent Palestinian deaths, a team of Israeli doctors and researchers from Hadassah Medical Center and the Hebrew University promptly penned a firm rebuttal. The U.S. researchers did, however, report that the incidents of October 7 had sparked a war.
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Taking umbrage at the anti-Israel sentiments, several distinguished professors from the Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical Center's Faculty of Medicine countered with a strong letter to the journal. They underscored Israel's adherence to international law in Gaza, contrasting it sharply with a particular terrorist organization's flagrant disregard for said laws.
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Accused of breaching international law, IDF soldiers in Gaza
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The Israeli researchers highlighted a growing body of evidence suggesting that "Hamas is exploiting numerous hospitals, using them as human shields, terror bases and ammunition storage sites. Israel has made every effort to safeguard as many civilians as possible in the conflict zone, with the ultimate goals of defeating Hamas and rooting out the source of evil."
They also indicated that on October 7 Hamas "orchestrated a mass killing, with an intent akin to genocide. This horrific act included tying up children and executing them with gunshots to the head and employing brutal sexual violence. The Hamas charter, which advocates for the extermination of Israel and the Jewish people, is in direct violation of international laws that prohibit genocide. Actions of Hamas terrorists align perfectly with their charter's destructive aims."
The Israeli researchers took issue with the description of the war's outbreak, specifically rejecting the term "catalyst." They argue this term "misleadingly suggests that Hamas isn't the primary party responsible for the massacre known as 'Black Saturday'." They also revisited a common criticism in Israel directed at the Red Cross and UN regarding their handling of the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Researchers underscored the appalling fact that "the hostages were neither granted physical nor medical access, nor provided with necessary medication. This is a glaring failure of the Red Cross, the UN, and a testament to the international community's failure to uphold these organizations' most basic standards."