How a Gaza Hospital Became a Military Target

Israel has faced widespread criticism for attacking the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. Images of premature babies wrapped in aluminum foil in makeshift incubators are heartbreaking. The World Health Organization has issued warnings of catastrophic loss of life at the complex. Meanwhile, Israel has argued that the hospital was being used as a Hamas command center, for weapons storage, to hide hostages, and to guard entrances to a maze of military tunnels.

While some of these claims have been questioned, it seems clear that Hamas has blatantly violated the law of war by using Al-Shifa for military purposes. The use of sick and wounded patients to shield any military targets is illegal. Hamas has also violated its obligation to take precautions to protect the civilian population, including failing to warn and move civilians away from Israel’s impending attack.