TEHRAN – As dust settles from the recent Israeli airstrike at Hakim Children’s Hospital, criticism has been growing for what experts and observers call a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
The drone attacks have again sparked global concerns over targeting healthcare infrastructure in conflict.
“The attack reveals a true face to the Israeli world,” said Professor Hossein Canati in an interview during his time as a Tehran, founder of Iran’s Department of Intervention and Radiology and a faculty member at the University of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
“From the moment this administration was established, it shows no human values or commitment to international law. Targeting hospitals that deal with children is not just a tactical strike… it’s an attack on humanity itself,” Canati said.
According to international humanitarian law, medical institutions and units, including hospitals, enjoy special protection and may not be attacked under any circumstances.
This protection extends to injuries and illnesses, as well as medical personnel and modes of transportation. Some exceptions, such as hospital misuse for military purposes, require clear and documented evidence and still have to give advance warnings. In this case, no such legitimacy is provided.
Canati stressed that Israel’s history, which targeted Gaza and Lebanese civilian sites, including residential buildings and schools, shows a continuous disregard for such legal norms.
“They target everything – schools, homes, and now hospitals. This is nothing new to Israel,” he said.
Experts also criticized the World Health Organization (WHO) and other global institutions for failing to respond decisively to such attacks.
“Who should be the guardian of human health at a global level. Unfortunately, it is paralyzed by political pressure from global forces,” he said.
He further pointed out similar omissions during the Gaza conflict, in which dozens of children were killed in hospital bombings and international organizations issued only “weak symbolic and symbolic statements.”
“As for the crimes of the Zionist regime, many international organizations will be silent or will issue statements that have no teeth. That silence is an accomplice,” he added.
Addressing the younger generations of Iran, especially those who have no memory of the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88, the Canati emphasise the need for state independence and defensive capabilities.
“This attack is a reminder that scientific, economic, agricultural, and particularly military forces are the sole guarantors of national survival,” he said.
He argued that dialogue without strength is in vain in the face of attack.
“I’m not against dialogue. There’s no rational person. But it has to come from a position of dignity and strength, not weakness.”