The playbook for bombing hospitals in war: deny, deflect, justify. The law must close these loopholes | Maarten van der Heijden

Cynical actors exploit the legal ambiguities around targeting healthcare facilities, as seen in Gaza. Unequivocal protections are needed

Hospitals in Gaza have turned into battlegrounds", the World Health Organization's representative for the West Bank and Gaza stated at the UN security council in January. He warned that the healthcare system was being systematically dismantled and driven to the brink of collapse".

Israel's attacks on medical centres in Gaza have prompted widespread condemnation from civil society, academics and news agencies, many labelling these strikes as breaches of international law or war crimes. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted that: Any attack of healthcare facilities is a violation of international humanitarian law."