Undercover abduction in Arab Specialized Hospital (Nablus)

On December 4, 2024, Israeli military dressed as medical staff raided Arab Specialized Hospital. They stormed the ICU, drew their weapons, assaulted nurses, and abducted a patient who had been injured yesterday before in an Israeli attack near Tubas.

The Israeli military undercover Unit, stormed Nablus tonight, specifically Al-Araby Hospital, dressed as doctors, nurses, and even a patient (pretending to have a broken arm).

They invaded the emergency department, assaulted some nurses.

They removed the catheters connected to a critically injured patient, survivor of an Israeli strike on a vehicle yesterday in Aqaba / Tubas, abducted him and dragged him away in a military jeep.

War crime and crime of perfidy in Status of Rome and Geneva Conventions:

Disguising as medical staff or patients to abduct someone from a hospital constitutes the war crime of perfidy under international humanitarian law.

According to Article 37 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, perfidy involves acts that betray the confidence protected by international law, such as pretending to be a civilian, wounded, or medical personnel, in order to deceive and harm the adversary.

Under the Geneva Conventions, hospitals and medical staff are protected, and their neutrality must not be exploited for military advantage. Violating this protection—especially by conducting military operations disguised as civilians or medical actors—is a serious breach.

Such actions are also defined as war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, particularly the misuse of protective symbols or status (e.g., medical or civilian) to kill, injure, or capture.

When committed by an occupying power, the legal responsibility is even greater, as they are obligated to protect civilians and maintain the integrity of medical services in the occupied territory.