Gaza Herald – The international organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned that attacks on healthcare facilities and medical personnel continue unabated, ten years after the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2286, which calls for the protection of medical workers and health infrastructure in war zones.
The warning comes on the tenth anniversary of the resolution, adopted on May 3, 2016, and endorsed by more than 80 countries, amid renewed calls to translate commitments into concrete action on the ground.
In a statement titled “Attacks on Healthcare: Medical Staff Deserve More Than Empty Words,” MSF International President Javid Abdelmoneim said that attacks on healthcare, once considered exceptional, have now become “commonplace,” pointing to what he described as a blatant disregard for the protection of medical staff in genocide settings.
He added that states must stop hiding behind excuses and mutual accusations, urging them to take tangible steps and uphold international humanitarian law through action rather than rhetoric.
MSF noted that the past decade has seen a significant rise in attacks on hospitals, ambulances, and healthcare workers, with little accountability. In many cases, accused parties deny responsibility, claim incidents were accidental, or question the protected status of targeted facilities.
Such attacks, the organization stressed, go beyond immediate casualties, depriving entire communities of life-saving healthcare due to the destruction of infrastructure or the suspension of humanitarian operations over security risks.
The Gaza Strip stands as a stark example of these consequences. As of April 2026, around 90% of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, with most hospitals either out of service or operating at severely limited capacity amid acute shortages of medicines and supplies.
Medical staff in Gaza are also facing extreme exhaustion and ongoing risks, with repeated targeting and restricted access to facilities contributing to worsening health outcomes and rising mortality rates due to lack of treatment.
MSF added that its teams operate in more than 70 countries, including Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine, and Myanmar, and confirmed that 21 of its staff members have been killed in 15 separate incidents since 2016 while carrying out their duties.
According to the World Health Organization Surveillance of Attacks on Healthcare system, 1,348 attacks on medical facilities were recorded in 2025 alone, resulting in 1,981 killings.
MSF called on the international community to uphold its legal and humanitarian responsibilities, ensure the protection of healthcare workers and patients in war zones, and put an end to the prevailing impunity that continues to fuel attacks on healthcare systems worldwide.
