The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has issued a stark warning about the deliberate targeting of healthcare workers and facilities in conflict zones around the world. 

The ICN has condemned the targeting of healthcare workers as “a disturbing and escalating assault on humanitarian norms.”  

Speaking with Turkish news agency Anadolu Ajansi, ICN Chief Executive Officer Howard Catton sounded the alarm on breaches of International Humanitarian laws in conflict zones ranging from Gaza and Sudan, to Ukraine. 

🗣️ ‘It no longer feels like collateral damage — it feels like health workers are the target. And it’s deliberate’

Head of the International Council of Nurses warns that healthcare workers are being intentionally targeted in conflicts from Gaza to Sudan to Ukraine… pic.twitter.com/zLWiWoCTnr

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) April 17, 2025

“Suddenly it feels as though attacks on nurses, other staff and health care facilities are a deliberate part of some countries’ military strategies. Until recently, this would have been unimaginable,” Catton said. 

He specifically raised concerns about the systematic attacks on medical infrastructure, citing the recent Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Al-Ahli Hospital.

The hospital was hit by two missiles, devastating its emergency room, surgical unit and oxygen station. Staff were provided just 20-30 minutes to evacuate, which was insufficient for the safe movement of workers and patients.  

“It no longer feels like collateral damage – it feels as though health workers are the target,” Catton said.  

Despite this, Catton noted the important role of nurses and other health workers in crisis zones. He also urged global leaders to reaffirm their commitment to protecting healthcare in conflict zones, noting the human cost that a loss of healthcare workers and services would inflict on vulnerable populations. 

“Nurses and other staff remain beacons of hope at a time when humanitarian norms are breaking down and our humanity risks being sucked out of us.”