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 focuses on accountability and supporting victims of human rights violations, particularly in Syria. She previously documented the Assad regime’s systematic attacks on healthcare facilities with Physicians for Human Rights.

Britt Gronemeyer is an assistant director at the Atlantic Council Strategic Litigation Project, supporting accountability efforts for human rights violations in Iran, Syria, Ukraine, and other nations.

"The world is focused on the ceasefire taking hold across Gaza, and rightly so. It brings urgent, life-saving relief to the enclave’s more than two million civilians. However, while mediators, politicians, and humanitarian workers’ immediate focus should be on securing a lasting ceasefire and facilitating urgent humanitarian assistance, lawyers and human rights activists should be doubling down on accountability efforts."

Israeli military actions in Gaza over the past two years have breached international law, with continuous reports of war crimes and crimes against humanity, claiming tens of thousands of lives. The most prominent violations include strikes on medical facilities, which number in the hundreds.

Author's summary: Amid ongoing conflict in Gaza, accountability for war crimes, especially attacks on medical facilities, remains crucial while relief efforts are actively pursued.

Opinio Juris — 2025-11-05

A Reminder that Targeting a Hospital is a War Crime

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