Len Rubenstein @lenrubenstein.bsky.social

Colleagues @rohinihaar @joeamon and I discuss how to end the impunity for attacks on health care in Gaza and beyond. bmj.com/content/390/bm…

Must read report by @OHCHR on attacks on hospitals in Gaza that soberly explains the trends and Israel's gross breaches of law. ohchr.org/en/documents/r…

More than 100 Gaza doctors remain in Israeli custody, most without charge, and many tortured. There have died in custody.

Further confirmation of the permissive, unlawful Israeli targeting practices that have resulted thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza. nytimes.com/2024/12/26/wor…

As health professionals, we insist that health personnel around the world be able to work in safety. Violence and threats against health care workers and facilities are devastating to the broader health system and worsen health outcomes. @TheLancet buff.ly/3CrInoB

Professor @lenrubenstein addressing attacks at healthcare in the context of Gaza at @WISHQatar #WISH7. “No effort to save patients were made when Israel attacked hospitals in Gaza” @MedGlobalOrg @SafeguardingHC

Evidence continues to emerge of alleged abuses of Gazan detainees at Israel’s Sde Teiman military detention facility, write @lenrubenstein and Matthew Wynia, highlighting need for accountability and the responsibilities of medical professionals. justsecurity.org/104150/physici…

Join @HCICCambridge @CRASSHlive and @lenrubenstein of @johnhopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, lawyer and author to discuss his book Perilous Medicine: The Struggle to Protect Health Care from the Violence of War on Thu 24 Oct at 5-7pm UK online event Register to attend #war #attacks #IHL crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/43829/

UN independent commission concludes that "Israeli security forces have deliberately killed, wounded, arrested, detained, mistreated and tortured medical personnel and targeted medical vehicles." nytimes.com/2024/10/10/wor…

A year ago, we were jolted awake by the blare of sirens and chilling reports of a ruthless killing spree carried out by Hamas against the residents of the south. The murders, abductions, and horrific violence against men, women, and children, along with the devastation of entire communities, have deeply affected us all—both as residents of this land and as human beings. As an organization committed to defending health and human rights, it was clear from the start that this was a watershed moment—one where the pain we all felt carried the potential for even greater catastrophe. - The following day, we warned that “pain leads to pain leads to pain.” A year later, there is still no end in sight to Israel's assault on Gaza, which continues as indiscriminate and deadly as ever. Over 40,000 people have been killed, a third of them children, and more than 100,000 have been wounded. The more than two million residents of the Gaza Strip have endured a year of sheer terror, living in displaced persons camps and suffering from hunger and disease. This hellscape is the direct result of Israel’s military operations, sanctioned by its government and broadly supported by the Israeli Jewish public. - Amid the rampant violence and death, we decided to take action alongside our partners in the human rights and healthcare communities—placing the protection of human lives at the forefront of our mission. - As part of these efforts, we established a field hospital in the Dead Sea area to care for survivors of the massacre in Kibbutz Be’eri, which was fully operational by the Monday following that horrific Saturday. We relentlessly attempted to break through the walls of apathy to help deliver essential medication to hostages in Gaza. Through advocacy and legal work, we sought to end Israel's attacks on Gaza's healthcare system, blockade of humanitarian aid, and severe restrictions on the movement of the sick and wounded attempting to leave Gaza. Additionally, our mobile clinic expanded its operations, treating over 24,000 patients in the occupied West Bank, while our clinic in Jaffa remained open to residents without legal status and other underprivileged populations who have no other safety net during these times of crisis. We fought to protect the lives and rights of those detained and incarcerated in Israel during a time when revenge has become official policy. And we supported West Bank shepherding communities who, amid the smoke of war, have faced violent expulsion by Israeli settlers and military forces. - This past year has tested the strength of the PHRI community. While we did not always see eye to eye, and though some expressed criticism rooted in pain and disagreement, many also found in us a reliable anchor during a time when our society's moral compass appears to have wavered. This support enables us to continue our efforts to protect human life while upholding the ethical principles central to the healthcare professions—care, compassion, solidarity, and justice—while resisting the hatred and violence that has emerged across all aspects of life. - As this year of profound suffering and devastation draws to a close, we offer our deepest gratitude to those who have stood with us in this ongoing struggle. Together—staff, volunteers, and supporters—we remain steadfast in our call for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages, in advocating for rehabilitation efforts, and in seeking truth and justice for the victims, all in pursuit of a more just and equitable future for all who call this land home.

“It's normal to be afraid”: attacks on healthcare in Ouaka, Haute-Kotto, and Vakaga prefectures of the Central African Republic, 2016–2020 - authors include our @lenrubenstein | Conflict and Health conflictandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11…

Israel: Palestinian Healthcare Workers Tortured hrw.org/news/2024/08/2…

Russia's grotesque attack on Kyiv's children's hospital, the largest in Ukraine, and according to expert missile analysis, was likely controlled, brings to almost 750 the number of strikes on hospitals in the war. Accountability is essential nytimes.com/2024/07/08/wor…

Might want to check what I said and the facts. I said airstrikes or shelling, not bombing alone; per @WHO , 32 of 36 hospitals damaged. And some hospitals were bombed. CNN, using satellite imagery found 20 airstrikes on hospitals in the first two months, with 14 direct hits.

Global Health NOW: Attacks on Health Care Escalate ‘at a Relentless Pace’; Global Mental Health NOW; and Heat Spikes Increase Snake Bites: mailchi.mp/9240dedcdafc/g…

I discuss two unique features of attacks on health care in Gaza as compared to other wars -- the vastness of the destruction of health infrastructure and the many violent ground assaults on hospitals

Biden must reject assurances by Israel on aid and IHL compliances as not credible, and cut off offensive weapons transfers. nytimes.com/2024/04/24/opi…

Why health workers in Gaza are injured or die at high rates - by @lenrubenstein - STAT statnews.com/2023/10/14/gaz…

Under threat: the International AIDS Society–Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights - Authors include @lenrubenstein | The Lancet thelancet.com/journals/lance…

Health workers and facilities around the globe are being targeted during war. While there have been grand commitments to protect health systems during conflict, there has been little action. My latest for @TheHillOpinion w/ @lenrubenstein: A 🧵 thehill.com/opinion/intern…