Friday briefing: Why attacks on hospitals from Ukraine to Lebanon now happen with impunity
Attacks on hospitals and medical personnel are increasingly occurring with little accountability across multiple conflict zones. International legal protections are being routinely bypassed, leading to high casualty rates among healthcare workers in places like Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon. Experts attribute this erosion of norms to weakened institutions and the politicization of humanitarian law.
- ▪A Russian missile strike reduced a children’s hospital in Kyiv to rubble, exemplifying the targeting of medical facilities in Ukraine.
- ▪Since the escalation of fighting in Lebanon in March, at least 135 Lebanese medics have been killed and nearly 400 injured, with the country ranking second globally for healthcare worker deaths since 2021.
- ▪The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu two years ago, highlighting concerns over war crimes in the region.
- ▪Legal experts argue that the erosion of international law and the declining authority of multinational institutions have allowed such attacks to occur with impunity.
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| Publication time | Fri, 31 Jul 2026 05:45:50 GMT |
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A children’s hospital was reduced to rubble in Kyiv after a Russian missile strike. Photograph: Oleksandr Ratushniak/ReutersView image in fullscreenA children’s hospital was reduced to rubble in Kyiv after a Russian missile strike. Photograph: Oleksandr Ratushniak/ReutersFirst Edition newsletterUS-Israel war on IranFriday briefing: Why attacks on hospitals from Ukraine to Lebanon now happen with impunityIn today’s newsletter: The legal protections once considered foundational in conflict are now routinely bypassed, with healthcare personnel treated as legitimate targetsMichael SegalovFri 31 Jul 2026 01.45 EDTLast modified on Fri 31 Jul 2026 01.48 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleGood morning.
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