Overview

• Academics published a BMJ Global Health commentary introducing “healthocide” to frame ideological assaults on medical workers and facilities as war crimes.
• Nearly 986 medical workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023 and Lebanon’s health ministry reports 217 deaths plus extensive damage to ambulances and hospitals through January 2025.
• Healthcare personnel detained in Gaza have testified to torture, beatings and deprivation, underscoring a collapse of protections guaranteed by the Geneva Conventions.
• Major medical associations have issued mostly terse or delayed statements on attacks, raising concerns that professional silence emboldens further violations of medical neutrality.
• Experts are urging the United Nations to appoint a special rapporteur on health in armed conflict to enforce accountability and safeguard healthcare systems.