Israeli strike kills 12 healthcare workers in southern Lebanon | Lebanon
Israel killed 12 medical workers in a strike on a medical center in southern Lebanon on Friday evening, bringing to 31 the number of health workers killed in the country by Israel over the past 12 days.
A primary health care facility in the town of Burj Qalaouiyah was hit by an Israeli strike Friday evening, setting it on fire and causing the structure to collapse on staff there. The strike killed doctors, paramedics and nurses on duty, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, which said in a statement that it “violated all international humanitarian laws.”
Human rights groups have said any attack on medical workers constitutes a war crime, regardless of their political affiliation.
Israel has carried out at least 37 attacks against health professionals and establishments in Lebanon, including against civil defense and the Lebanese Red Cross, since the start of the current hostilities, Lebanese authorities said.
The war in Lebanon began on March 2 after Hezbollah launched a volley of rockets at Israel, triggering a rapid Israeli bombing campaign across the country. Fighting has since intensified, with Hezbollah continuing its rocket attacks and Israeli troops invading southern Lebanon.
At least 826 people have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli strikes, according to the Health Ministry, and around a million have been displaced.
On Saturday morning, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee accused Hezbollah of using ambulances and medical facilities for military purposes, and said Israeli forces would “act in accordance with international law” if Hezbollah did not stop. The spokesperson provided no credible evidence to support his claims.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry denied the Israeli army’s claims that the ambulances were used for military purposes, calling them “nothing more than a justification for the crimes it commits against humanity,” in a statement.
During the 13-month war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024, Israel also accused Hezbollah of using ambulances for military purposes, again without credible evidence. It also killed 408 health workers.
Israel has been accused of war crimes for its attacks on Gaza health facilities during its two-year war in the Gaza Strip by a UN commission of inquiry. A senior prosecutor at the International Criminal Court said in 2024 that allegations about the presence of Hamas fighters in Gaza hospitals besieged by the Israeli army were “grossly exaggerated”. Gaza’s health system has been largely destroyed by sustained Israeli attacks.
Humanitarian groups have warned that the Israeli military’s accusation that Hezbollah is using health centers for military purposes could serve as justification for further attacks on such facilities in Lebanon.
Under international humanitarian law, medical workers, regardless of political affiliation, are considered civilians and have protected status.
