Attacking Hospitals, Schools, Not a 'Miscalculation': WHO Chief

By Al Mayadeen English

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus strongly condemns US-Israeli bombings on hospitals and schools, calling attacks on civilians and medical personnel war crimes.

The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has strongly condemned US-Israeli bombings targeting hospitals and schools, describing the attacks as “war crimes” that cannot be dismissed as accidental errors.

In a statement published Sunday on the social media platform X, Tedros rejected claims that such incidents could be described as miscalculations. “Bombing a hospital or a school is not a ‘miscalculation,’” he wrote.

He further stressed that the killing of medical personnel and the targeting of civilians cannot be justified under any circumstances, writing, “Killing a paramedic is not ‘collateral damage.’ Starving civilian is not ‘negotiating tactic.’ These are war crimes. Call it what it is. Full stop,” Tedros added.

US-Israeli aggression on Iran exacts heavy civilian toll

During their aggression against Iran, the US and "Israel" have struck schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure. In one of the deadliest attacks, a US airstrike hit a school in Minab, Hormozgan Province, killing 168 schoolgirls.

Iranian health authorities report that more than 1,300 people have been killed and over 10,000 injured in the assaults. Among the dead are 200 children under 12, including 11 under the age of five, and more than 200 women. The casualties also include 206 students and teachers, showing the severe impact on the education sector.

Of those wounded, 17 percent are women, and at least 1,040 are under 18, including 65 children younger than five.

Damage assessments by the Iranian Red Crescent show widespread destruction, with 19,734 civilian and residential units affected, including 16,191 homes. Seventy-seven medical centers and pharmacies, 65 schools and educational centers, and 16 Red Crescent facilities have also been damaged.

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, a March 13 Israeli airstrike killed five paramedics in al-Suwwaneh, while a separate strike killed 12 doctors, nurses, and paramedics in a primary healthcare center in Bourj Qalaway. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 18 health workers have been killed and 48 were wounded in Israeli airstrikes. In addition, 23 vehicles and 11 medical and emergency centers were damaged in 23 Israeli attacks targeting emergency services.