Health Ministry ordered Israeli doctors not to cooperate with 'anti-Israel' UN committee - report

Published: JANUARY 16, 2024 03:44

Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad H. Mansour speaks during a plenary meeting on the 'Use of the veto - Item 63: Special report of the Security Council', in the General Assembly Hall at UN headquarters in New York City, U.S., January 9, 2024. (photo credit: REUTERS/SHANNON STAPLETON) — Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad H. Mansour speaks during a plenary meeting on the 'Use of the veto - Item 63: Special report of the Security Council', in the General Assembly Hall at UN headquarters in New York City, U.S., January 9, 2024.

(photo credit: REUTERS/SHANNON STAPLETON)

Israel's Health Ministry reportedly told all those in touch with the UN committee not to meet with those involved or cooperate with them in any way.

A UN committee has been attempting to contact Israeli doctors in order to investigate the October 7 massacre, but Israel's Health Ministry has given instructions not to allow any cooperation due to the claim that the committee is anti-Israel, according to a Kan report on Monday evening.

The UN committee had been attempting to set up the investigation with high-ranking Israeli doctors for the past couple of weeks, as well as other organizations that worked to provide care for the injured during the October 7 attacks.

According to the Kan report, the Health Ministry's decision came from a directive of Israel's Justice Ministry.

Enforcing no contact with the UN committee

The stance of the UN towards Israel has been questioned and criticized since the beginning of Israel's war against Hamas.

Israel's Health Ministry told all those in touch with the UN committee not to meet with those involved or cooperate with them in any way.

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, Health Ministry Director-General Professor Nachman Ash and Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health services at the Health Ministry attend a press conference about the Polio vaccine in Tel Aviv, on April 26, 2022 (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

Although the committee claimed to want to look into the war crimes committed by Hamas, Israel's Foreign Ministry did not believe that to be the case.

"We are talking about an organization that was established by the Human Rights Council during the Iron Swords Operation in order to investigate Israel. Three well-known antisemites were appointed to head the committee. This is a biased body that the State of Israel will not cooperate with,' Israel's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.