WASHINGTON: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) delivered a petition signed by 547,000 people to the White House Wednesday demanding an independent investigation into a deadly Unites States (US) strike on one of its hospitals in Afghanistan.

The October 3 bombing of the hospital in the northern city of Kunduz killed 30 people and forced the charity to close the trauma center ─ the only one in the region ─ while sparking global condemnation.

General John Campbell, the US commander in Afghanistan, said late last month the strike was "caused primarily by human error", but refused to say if there would be an independent investigation.

Adding to growing pressure, the MSF petition urged President Barack Obama to agree to a probe by the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC).

The IHFFC is an independent body created under international law, but has never been used.

"Only a full accounting by an independent, international body can restore our confidence in the commitments of the US's to uphold the laws of war, which prohibit such attacks on hospitals in the strongest terms," Jason Cone, executive director of MSF-USA, said in a statement.

"It is not sufficient for the perpetrators of attacks on medical facilities to be the only investigators."

MSF has slammed American forces for "gross negligence" over the hospital strike, which also triggered calls for an independent investigation from Human Rights Watch.

A non-binding resolution passed in the European Parliament also urged an "independent investigation" into the hit.

Also read: Obama apologises to MSF for air strike on hospital: White House

Opinion

Geopolitical shift in ME

Geopolitical shift in ME

A prolonged conflict will have far-reaching implications for regional geopolitics, sharpening the divisions among Gulf countries that are directly affected by the tensions.

Editorial

Unyielding stances
Updated 13 May, 2026

Unyielding stances

Every day that passes without clarity on how and when the war will end introduces fresh intensity to the uncertainty roiling global markets and adds to the economic turmoil the world must bear because of it.
Gwadar rising?
13 May, 2026

Gwadar rising?

COULD the Middle East conflict prove to be a boon for the Gwadar port? Islamabad’s push to position Gwadar as a...
Locked in
13 May, 2026

Locked in

THE acquittal of as many as 74 PTI activists by a Peshawar court in a case pertaining to the May 2023 violence is a...
Bannu attack
Updated 12 May, 2026

Bannu attack

The security narrative and strategy of the KP government diverges considerably from the state’s position.
Cotton crisis
12 May, 2026

Cotton crisis

PAKISTAN’S cotton economy is once again facing a crisis that exposes the country’s flawed agricultural and...
Buddhist heritage
12 May, 2026

Buddhist heritage

THE revival of Buddhist chants at the ancient Dharmarajika Stupa in Taxila after nearly 1,500 years is much more ...