Assaulting Medical Neutrality: Reflections on Attacks on Healthcare and Clinicians in the Two World Wars and Implications for Contemporary Conflicts

ABSTRACT Wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East highlight that armed conflict is once more a significant geopolitical challenge across the world. An aspect of such wars is the deliberate violation of medical neutrality through the targeting of hospitals and clinical staff, including nurses, in breach of international law. Through a narrative review of documented cases, this article reflects on recurring themes in attacks on medical neutrality during the World Wars that resonate with contemporary wars. Within the current context of international rivalry, it is emphasised that the growing strategic and military significance of healthcare assets increases the likelihood that breaches of medical neutrality will take place in the future. Whilst consistent enforcement of international law, if implemented, may deter such breaches, the current environment of politics and conflict suggests that this is unlikely to happen when the influence of historical precedent is taken into account.