Iran slams Australia for targeting doctors criticizing Israel’s war crimes in Gaza, Lebanon

Iran’s deputy foreign minister has warned Australia against imposing costs on doctors and medical professionals over criticizing Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon.

In a post on X, Kazem Gharibabadi said that there is a clear distinction between hate speech and defending Palestinian and Lebanese children who have been killed by the Israeli regime.

He said imposing “professional costs such as bans and restrictions against doctors critical of the Zionist regime’s crimes constitute an attack on professional freedom of expression and medical conscience.”

“Hate speech is one thing; defending murdered children and bombed hospitals is another,” he added.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) on Wednesday announced it had adopted the so-called International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of what it describes as antisemitism for its regulatory work.

Ahpra chief executive Justin Untersteiner said the agency is committed to working with the Special Envoy for Antisemitism and partners to eliminate anti-Israel remarks from the health system.

The IHRA definition describes antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.”

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) has warned that the move could silence health professionals from criticizing the Israeli regime’s human rights record.

It said health workers have already reported fear of professional consequences for expressing views on Gaza and Palestine, particularly since the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023.

According to APAN, Palestinian healthcare workers have faced the destruction of Gaza’s health system and the killing of medical staff, while supporters of Palestinian rights in Australia face growing pressure.

Rights groups and health organizations have long documented damage to Gaza’s medical infrastructure, including repeated air strikes, blockades on medical supplies, and restrictions on patients seeking treatment abroad.

Health officials have repeatedly warned that without urgent action, Gaza’s hospitals could collapse entirely, leaving millions of civilians without lifesaving care and raising concerns over international responsibility.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to health officials. The military campaign has also killed thousands of healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses.

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