Introducing 'Healthocide': The Weaponization of Healthcare as Acts of War

The term 'healthocide' has been introduced to describe a disturbing trend where health services and infrastructure are deliberately targeted and destroyed during armed conflicts, effectively weaponizing healthcare systems. This concept emphasizes that attacking health facilities, harming medical personnel, and obstructing access to medical care are acts of war that devastate populations and violate international humanitarian laws. A recent commentary published in the open-access journal BMJ Global Health highlights the urgency of recognizing these actions as a form of aggression that must be condemned and addressed.

Researchers, including Dr. Joelle Abi-Rached from the American University of Beirut, underscore that silence or inaction in the face of such attacks equates to complicity and undermines established legal standards protecting medical neutrality. The article focuses on conflicts in Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and Syria, providing data on the extent of attacks: in Lebanon alone, from October 2023 to January 2025, 217 healthcare workers were killed, 177 ambulances damaged, 68 hospitals attacked, and numerous assaults on emergency services recorded. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in at least 986 medical workers' deaths, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and civil defense personnel.

The authors argue that healthcare facilities are not only directly targeted but also obstructed from providing vital services, with ambulances prevented from reaching the injured or attacked en route. This pattern demonstrates a blatant disregard for the protections guaranteed by international humanitarian law. Despite this, medical communities and professional organizations worldwide have largely remained silent or issued delayed responses.

The concept of 'healthocide' signals a more dangerous evolution where attacks on health are no longer isolated incidents but part of a strategic assault linked to ideological motives. This normalization fosters a chilling environment where future violations may become acceptable. The authors call for medical practitioners to stand firm by advocating for justice, documenting abuses, and resisting the erosion of medical neutrality. They emphasize that healthcare workers and systems should uphold principles of social justice and human rights, and that silence in these situations amounts to approval of atrocities.

Concluding, the article urges the global medical community to reject the weaponization of healthcare by actively challenging these violations and reaffirming their commitment to medical ethics and the protection of health services during conflicts.