UN: Israel Dismantles Gaza’s Health System in Calculated Assault on Right to Life

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, declared that the health system in Gaza faces “systematic and deliberate assault” by Israeli forces as part of a broader strategy to extinguish any prospect of survival.

In an interview with Al Mayadeen, Mofokeng stated that “the right to life no longer exists in Gaza” and survival itself has become impossible amid constant aggression. She noted that her repeated warnings to Israeli authorities about obligations under international law were ignored without response.

Mofokeng described the humanitarian collapse in Gaza as catastrophic, underscoring that conditions prevent any semblance of dignified life or social continuity. Beyond the physical destruction, she pointed to the psychological torment Palestinians endure, including chronic trauma and relentless fear.

She condemned the blockade and repeated attacks on UN agencies as a “deliberate policy,” asserting these acts were designed to dismantle human rights protections and shield the Israeli regime from accountability. The destruction of humanitarian infrastructure and the forced shutdown of aid operations, she explained, were intentional and enabled by political cover from powerful Western governments.

Addressing the US- and Israel-backed “Gaza Humanitarian” distribution system, Mofokeng called it “a new method of killing and part of a plan for genocide.” She noted that early warnings over the deprivation of water, food, and medicine were deliberately ignored, leaving civilians trapped in lethal conditions.

“People today are standing in random queues under sniper fire,” she said.

Mofokeng denounced the paralysis of the UN Security Council and the routine vetoes that block action. “If humanity truly learned from history, we wouldn’t be here,” she said, questioning the purpose of accountability mechanisms when rulings are never enforced.

Israeli soldiers have openly admitted targeting unarmed Palestinians near aid centers, according to Haaretz. Soldiers confirmed that orders came from their commanders to open fire, despite civilians posing no threat.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 72 deaths and 174 injuries in the past 24 hours alone, with countless victims trapped beneath rubble or unreachable due to the intensity of bombardment.

Since October 7, 2023, the war has claimed 56,331 Palestinian lives and wounded 132,632 more. By March 18, 2025, 6,008 had been killed and over 20,000 injured in Gaza alone.

The UN has warned that Israel’s weaponization of food constitutes a war crime. As of June 25, at least 549 Palestinians have been killed and more than 4,066 wounded while trying to access food aid. The collapse of water infrastructure threatens mass drought and famine across the besieged territory.

Speaking in Geneva, UN spokesperson Thameen al-Kheetan described Israel’s so-called humanitarian aid mechanism as a militarized apparatus with deadly consequences for civilians deprived of their right to life.