Attacks on hospitals are increasing during armed conflicts: what does law of war say?

An article by The Conversation written by Shannon Bosch – Associate Professor (Law), Edith Cowan University

Pakistan did not deliberately target this medical facility. In a statement posted on the social network X, the Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that these “precision air strikes” targeted “Afghan Taliban military installations used to support terrorist activities,” including “technical support infrastructures and ammunition storage facilities.”

Globally, attacks on healthcare facilities are on the rise. On March 14, 2026, an Israeli airstrike hit a healthcare center in Lebanon, killing 12 doctors, nurses, and paramedics. This attack brings the number of healthcare professionals killed in the country to 31 as of that date.

Since the beginning of March, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 27 attacks on healthcare facilities in Lebanon alone, as Israeli strikes in the country and joint American-Israeli operations in Iran have intensified. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the WHO have condemned these attacks, calling them violations of international law.

What laws protect medical facilities, personnel, and patients in times of conflict? Do these protections become obsolete if the infrastructures are used as a refuge for combatants?

The international humanitarian law consists of detailed rules aimed at protecting medical personnel, facilities, patients, and the injured during armed conflicts.

What the “law of war” says about protecting hospitals:

– Medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, must be respected and protected in the performance of their duties. – Special protections exist for ambulances and transport dedicated solely to medical purposes. – These protections extend to the injured and sick under their care, including enemy combatants requiring care and no longer participating in hostilities. – Impartial humanitarian organizations must be authorized to provide medical assistance. Consent to their action cannot be arbitrarily denied. – Medical facilities must display the distinctive protective emblems of the Red Cross, Red Crescent, or Red Crystal. Medical personnel must carry identification documents and armbands displaying these emblems.

(Additional notes: The Red Crystal emblem was adopted in December 2005 and enjoys the same status as other emblems recognized by the Geneva Conventions.)

Misuse of these symbols to cover military operations is prohibited and can be considered a war crime under international law. Deliberately attacking medical personnel or facilities displaying these emblems can also constitute a war crime.

Origin of these rules:

Laws protecting medical services in times of war were established in response to the unspeakable suffering observed during the conflicts of the 19th and 20th centuries. The first treaty protecting wounded soldiers and medical personnel dates back to 1864 with the adoption of the original Geneva Convention. Today, the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, supplemented by customary international law, form a nearly universal legal framework binding all parties to the conflict, including non-state armed groups.

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