Tel Aviv - Israeli troops fighting in the Gaza Strip during Israel's recent offensive in the salient violated medical ethics, a non-governmental organization has charged.

In a report released Monday, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) said Israeli soldiers did not allow the evacuation of injured civilians who were besieged for days, and also left the civilians without food or water.

Soldiers also prevented Palestinian medical teams from reaching the wounded and stopped medical care from reaching other injured Palestinians.

According to PHR, 16 Palestinian medical personnel were killed by Israeli fire and 25 injured while performing their duties during the 22-day offensive, and helicopters and tanks opened fire on medical personnel.

The army also attacked 24 medical centres, including 8 hospitals, and 26 primary care clines, PHR charged.

"We have noticed a stark decline in IDF morals concerning the Palestinian population of Gaza, which in reality amounts to a contempt for Palestinian lives," PHR Chairman Dr. Dani Filc said.

The Israel Defence Force (IDF) spokesman's office said in response to the report that the High Court of Justice had already addressed the allegations made by PHR, and rejected a subsequent petition filed by the organization.

The Israel Defence Force also investigated the claims, and its findings are expected shortly, the IDF Spokesman said in a statement.

The statement also accused the Islamist Hamas movement of making use of "medical vehicles, facilities and uniforms in order to conceal and camouflage terrorist activity."

Israel launched its "Operation Cast Lead" on December 27, in response to repeated rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on its southern towns and villages.

During the campaign, which began with a week of heavy air strikes before the ground troops entered the enclave, 1,417 Palestinians were killed and over 5,000 were wounded, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said. (dpa)