Friday briefing: Why attacks on hospitals from Ukraine to Lebanon now happen with impunity
This article discusses the alarming trend of attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers in conflict zones, from Ukraine to Lebanon, highlighting how legal protections are increasingly ignored. It questions the efficacy of international law and institutions in upholding humanitarian norms, citing examples like the Israel-Hamas conflict and alleged Israeli-US operations in Iran.
Why it matters
The erosion of international law and the targeting of healthcare facilities and personnel in conflicts have severe humanitarian consequences, undermining global stability and the fundamental principles of war.
A children’s hospital was reduced to rubble in Kyiv after a Russian missile strike. A children’s hospital was reduced to rubble in Kyiv after a Russian missile strike. First Edition newsletter US-Israel war on Iran Friday briefing: Why attacks on hospitals from Ukraine to Lebanon now happen with impunity In today’s newsletter: The legal protections once considered foundational in conflict are now routinely bypassed, with healthcare personnel treated as legitimate targets
Prefer the Guardian on Google Good morning. While you were asleep, Donald Trump claimed a deal had been reached for the “complete disarmament of Hamas” in Gaza. His announcement, characteristically, does not yet seem watertight, with briefings from both sides revealing points of contention, and as such is being treated with caution by some world leaders.
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