Human Rights Lawyer Warns Against Targeting Children, Hospitals in U.S – Israel Military Action

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju

Human Rights Lawyer Warns Against Targeting Children, Hospitals in U.S – Israel Military Action

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has urged the United States and Israel to fully respect international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions in their ongoing military action against Iran, warning that targeting civilians, children, hospitals and other protected populations constitutes a serious violation of the laws of war.

Speaking in a statement on Monday, Adeyanju said that even amid heightened conflict, combatants have clear legal obligations under international law to distinguish between military targets and civilians. He noted that deliberate attacks on non‑combatants and protected infrastructure such as hospitals and schools are prohibited under global legal norms aimed at minimizing human suffering during armed conflict. This framework is central to the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, which require parties to a conflict to take all feasible precautions to safeguard civilians and avoid harm to civilian objects.

“The United States and Israel must respect the Geneva Convention in their war with Iran. Children, hospitals, the civil population and vulnerable people must not be targeted,” Adeyanju said, emphasizing that failure to uphold these principles could amount to serious violations under international law.

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International humanitarian law (IHL) — the body of legal rules that govern armed conflict — protects those who are not taking part in hostilities, including civilians, medical personnel and humanitarian workers, and restricts how warfare may be conducted. Under IHL, parties must always distinguish between combatants and civilians and refrain from deliberate attacks on civilian objects even if military activity is occurring nearby.

Adeyanju’s appeal comes amid sharp escalations in the Middle East, where recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes inside Iran have sparked retaliatory attacks by Tehran and heightened fears of a wider regional conflict involving multiple state and non‑state actors. Various international actors, including the European Union, have called for “maximum restraint” and full compliance with international law in responding to the crisis, urging the protection of civilian lives and strict adherence to humanitarian norms.

Similarly, international legal and humanitarian organisations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations human rights chief, have reiterated that the laws of war apply regardless of the political objectives of the parties involved, and that the safety of civilians must remain paramount. They have called for all sides to uphold the rules of armed conflict and protect medical personnel, hospitals, homes and schools from attack.

Critics of the escalation have underscored the devastating toll that indiscriminate or disproportionate use of force can have on civilian populations, not only in the immediate conflict zone but also across neighbouring regions struggling with displacement, economic instability and humanitarian needs.

Adeyanju stressed that adherence to international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions is not merely aspirational but a legal and moral obligation for all parties in hostilities. He reiterated that the protection of innocent lives, especially children and vulnerable civilians, should remain central to any legitimate military action and urged greater international accountability for violations.