Israeli forces’ actions while occupying Palestinian hospitals in Gaza amount to “war crimes”, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has found, Al Jazeera reports.

In a new report published today, the leading rights group concluded that the Israeli military caused deaths and unnecessary suffering among Palestinian patients, including by denying electricity, water, food, and medicines to patients, shooting civilians, mistreating health workers deliberately destroying medical facilities and equipment.

“Israeli forces repeatedly demonstrated deadly cruelty against Palestinian patients in hospitals that they seized,” said Bill Van Esveld, associate children’s rights director at HRW.

“The Israeli military’s denial of water and electricity left sick and wounded people to die, while soldiers mistreated and forcibly displaced patients and health workers, and damaged and destroyed hospitals.”