A Reminder that Targeting a Hospital is a War Crime
Elise Baker is a senior staff lawyer at the Atlantic Council Strategic Litigation Project. She leads efforts on accountability and supports victims and survivors of human rights abuses in Syria. Previously, she documented the Assad regime’s systematic attacks on healthcare in Syria with Physicians for Human Rights. Britt Gronemeyer serves as assistant director at the same project, aiding accountability for violations in Iran, Syria, Ukraine, and other countries.
The world’s current focus is rightly on establishing a ceasefire across Gaza, offering urgent, life-saving relief to over two million civilians in the enclave. While mediators, politicians, and humanitarian workers concentrate on securing this ceasefire and facilitating aid, lawyers and human rights defenders must intensify efforts to ensure accountability.
Over the past two years, Israeli military operations in Gaza 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 most severe violations are hundreds of strikes on 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.”
“Chief among Israeli violations in Gaza are strikes on medical facilities, which total in the hundreds.”
Accountability for these violations is crucial to uphold international humanitarian law and protect civilians in conflict zones.
Author’s summary: Intense focus on Gaza’s ceasefire must be matched by rigorous legal efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for widespread war crimes, especially attacks on medical facilities.