The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) unequivocally condemns the deliberate killing of Dr. Marwan Al-Sultan, Director of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike alongside his wife, daughter, sister, and other family members in their home in western Gaza City.

Dr. Al-Sultan, a distinguished cardiologist and veteran humanitarian, remained in Gaza throughout successive waves of conflict, refusing to abandon his post or his patients even under relentless siege.

This targeted killing represents yet another chapter in Israel’s systematic dismantling of Gaza’s healthcare system. Since the start of its military campaign in October 2023, Israeli forces have repeatedly bombed hospitals, clinics, and shelters, killing thousands of medical personnel and rendering Gaza’s medical infrastructure all but defunct. These actions appear calculated not only to devastate physical facilities but to erase the human capacity for care, healing, and survival.

Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, medical professionals and facilities are entitled to explicit protection during armed conflict. The targeting of doctors, nurses, ambulances, and displaced civilians constitutes a war crime and a blatant violation of Israel’s obligations under international law.

PRC urgently calls on the United Nations, including the Security Council and Human Rights Council, to launch an immediate and independent investigation into Israel’s assassination of Dr. Al-Sultan and other similar crimes as crimes against humanity.

As the death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has hit 57,000, the International Criminal Court (ICC) should accelerate its inquiry into Israel’s conduct in Gaza and ensure individual accountability for perpetrators of war crimes and grave breaches of international law.

The international medical and humanitarian community must speak out forcefully against these atrocities and demand the protection of their colleagues on the frontlines.

The killing of Dr. Al-Sultan is part of Israel’s systematic policy to undermine humanitarian relief, punish the wounded, and obliterate the ethical boundaries of war. It strikes at the very heart of the legal and moral framework that governs international conduct in conflict.

The world must not remain silent. It is time for decisive action to halt this unchecked brutality, protect those who save lives, and restore the integrity of international humanitarian law.