A Reminder that Targeting a Hospital is a War Crime
Elise Baker is a senior staff lawyer at the Atlantic Council Strategic Litigation Project, leading efforts on accountability and support for victims of human rights violations in Syria. She previously documented the Assad regime’s systematic attacks on healthcare in Syria with Physicians for Human Rights. Britt Gronemeyer is an assistant director at the Atlantic Council Strategic Litigation Project, supporting accountability for human rights violations in Iran, Syria, Ukraine, and other countries.
The world’s attention is rightly on the ceasefire across Gaza, which brings urgent, life-saving relief to more than two million civilians there. While mediators, politicians, and humanitarian workers focus on securing a lasting ceasefire and facilitating essential aid, lawyers and human rights advocates must intensify efforts toward accountability.
Israeli military actions in Gaza over the past two years have repeatedly violated international law, with near-daily reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity that have claimed tens of thousands of lives. Among the most severe violations are hundreds of strikes targeting medical facilities.
“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.”
“Chief among Israeli violations in Gaza are strikes on medical facilities, which total in the hundreds.”
Accountability efforts must proceed alongside humanitarian relief to ensure justice and prevent future violations.
Author’s summary: The article underscores the critical need to pursue legal accountability for repeated attacks on medical facilities in Gaza, emphasizing that such actions constitute grave breaches of international law and war crimes.