Table of Contents
Greg Bouwer
IINZ
Another strike. Another hospital. Another round of outrage. But amid the smoke, sirens, and sorrow, an uncomfortable truth remains largely unspoken: until Hamas stops embedding itself in civilian infrastructure – including hospitals – these tragedies will persist. And those who fund and operate these facilities, from international NGOs to local health administrators, cannot afford to remain silent any longer.
It is time for the humanitarian community, particularly those supporting Gaza’s medical infrastructure, to break the pattern of quiet acquiescence. If they truly care about protecting patients, doctors, and hospitals, they must demand a change in behavior from Hamas. Not in whispers behind closed doors – but in clear, public terms.
International law is explicit: hospitals are protected spaces, but that protection is lost if they are used for military purposes. And yet, this cycle repeats itself – not because hospitals are randomly struck, but because they are often exploited by Hamas as launchpads, command posts, and cover. Israel has long claimed this; Western intelligence agencies have corroborated it; and even some Gaza residents, off record, acknowledge it.
Yes, the IDF must be held to the highest standards in verifying targets and minimizing civilian harm – and, by many measures, they are. Israel’s military routinely issues warnings, uses precision-guided munitions, and in many cases calls off strikes entirely when the risk to civilians is too high. Their conduct is scrutinized more than almost any other military in the world. But no amount of caution or precision can fully prevent casualties when combatants intentionally embed themselves in civilian areas.
Condemnation cannot be one-sided. If the protection of civilians is the true goal, then that responsibility also falls on those who use civilians as shields.
Donors, NGOs, and hospital administrators have moral leverage. They provide resources, training, infrastructure. That gives them a voice. It’s time they used it to pressure Hamas to stop operating from hospitals – not just because it puts lives at risk, but because it undermines the very sanctity of humanitarian work.
Silence, in this case, isn’t neutrality. It’s complicity.
This article was originally published by the Israel Institute of New Zealand.
