A Reminder that Targeting a Hospital is a War Crime
Elise Baker is a senior staff lawyer at the Atlantic Council Strategic Litigation Project, where she leads efforts on accountability and supports victims of human rights violations in Syria. She previously documented the Assad regime’s systematic attacks on health care in Syria with Physicians for Human Rights. Britt Gronemeyer, assistant director at the same project, aids accountability for violations in Iran, Syria, Ukraine, and other countries.
The world’s attention is rightly focused on the ceasefire taking hold across Gaza, bringing urgent, life-saving relief to its more than two million civilians. While mediators, politicians, and humanitarian workers concentrate on securing a lasting ceasefire and facilitating vital aid, lawyers and human rights activists must intensify efforts toward accountability.
Israeli military actions in Gaza over the past two years have repeatedly violated international law. There are near-daily reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths. Among the gravest violations are hundreds of strikes on medical facilities in Gaza.
“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.”
Key Issues
- Targeting of hospitals and medical facilities as a frequent violation.
- Widespread destruction caused by military operations undermining humanitarian law.
- The urgent need for accountability alongside ceasefire and humanitarian efforts.
Legal experts emphasize that alongside immediate relief efforts, pursuing justice for these violations is critical to uphold international law and deter future crimes.
Summary: Accountability for repeated attacks on medical facilities in Gaza is essential to uphold international law amidst ongoing ceasefire and humanitarian efforts.