Targeting and Arresting Doctors is Part of Attempts to Undermine Civil and Humanitarian Work in Palestine

SadaNews - The Palestinian Network of Non-Governmental Organizations called for intensified efforts and expanded campaigns to pressure the occupation forces to stop targeting doctors and health and humanitarian institutions in Palestine, and to activate international accountability mechanisms to secure the release of Dr. Mazen Al-Rantisiy (71 years old), who was arrested in Ramallah after a raid and search of his home last week. This was followed by the arrest of Dr. Khaled Ayash (63 years old) from Biddu, just a few days after Al-Rantisiy's arrest, in a clear targeting of the most basic elements of civil and health work in Palestine.

The statement published by the Palestinian Network of Non-Governmental Organizations reads, verbatim:

In this context, the network renews its strong condemnation of these arrests which the occupying state is pursuing, violating even the most basic international laws. The network views the process of arrest as an extension of attempts to destroy the health sector in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and to prevent medical services from reaching the Palestinian public amidst a continuous genocide and destruction of the health system, which the occupation has deliberately targeted in light of ongoing forced displacement policies. The continued detention of Dr. Hossam Abu Safiyeh since 2024 and his transfer to solitary confinement under conditions that constitute a blatant violation of international laws is a clear example of the ongoing actions against civil organizations. Moreover, the targeting and arrest of doctors are part of attempts to undermine civil and humanitarian work in Palestine.
  The network stresses that the campaigns initiated in many countries by human rights and health organizations must be intensified and continued following the decision to extend Dr. Al-Rantisiy's detention for eight days after he was presented to the Ofer military court, where he is accused of collaborating with a (prohibited) institution. It is likely that his arrest is related to his presidency of the board of directors of the Health Work Committees, one of the member organizations of the network, which the occupation classified in 2020 as an (illegal) entity, despite functioning according to legal standards in the Palestinian Authority areas openly and legally since the mid-1985. This requires effective action from official bodies to halt this occupying aggression targeting Palestinian civil work and attempts to undermine its existence and to confront the occupation’s measures through effective legal and official follow-ups at all relevant international forums and levels. It is noted that the occupying state continues to arbitrarily detain 14 doctors from the Gaza Strip, necessitating immediate intervention from human rights and humanitarian organizations for their release.