A Reminder that Targeting a Hospital is a War Crime
By Elise Baker and Britt Gronemeyer
Elise Baker is a senior staff lawyer at the Atlantic Council Strategic Litigation Project, leading initiatives on accountability and support for victims of human rights violations in Syria. She previously worked with Physicians for Human Rights to document systematic assaults on healthcare by the Assad regime. Britt Gronemeyer serves as an assistant director at the same project, focusing on accountability efforts related to human rights abuses in Iran, Syria, Ukraine, and other regions.
Humanitarian Context in Gaza
Global attention is now centered on the fragile ceasefire emerging across Gaza. This truce, though tenuous, provides much-needed relief for more than two million civilians who have endured extended hardship. Mediators and humanitarian workers continue to prioritize a lasting ceasefire and essential aid delivery.
Call for Legal Accountability
While immediate humanitarian relief is vital, legal and human rights advocates argue that accountability must not be neglected. Sustained efforts to investigate and prosecute violations are necessary to prevent ongoing impunity.
Israeli military action in Gaza over the past two years has obliterated international law, with near-daily reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity, costing tens of thousands of lives.
Attacks on Medical Facilities
Among the most severe violations in Gaza are repeated strikes on hospitals and other medical infrastructure, numbering in the hundreds. Such actions directly contravene international humanitarian law, which explicitly prohibits targeting medical facilities.
Author Summary
The article underscores the urgency of pursuing accountability for repeated attacks on hospitals in Gaza, emphasizing that such acts are prohibited as war crimes under international law.