At least four hospitals in Lebanon suspended operations on Friday following Israeli airstrikes, while a Hezbollah-affiliated health organization reported that 11 paramedics were killed in the past 24 hours.
These closures are the latest in a series of strikes that have targeted healthcare facilities and workers over the past two weeks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Israeli attacks have forced the closure of at least 37 medical facilities in Lebanon, and dozens of healthcare workers have been killed.
Late Friday, the Israeli military issued a statement accusing Hezbollah of using medical vehicles to transport fighters and weapons, warning it would target any vehicle suspected of being used for military purposes.
Hospital staff in southern Lebanon reported that medical facilities treating wounded civilians were directly hit by Israeli strikes. At Marjayoun governmental hospital, Director Dr. Mounes Kalakish confirmed that the hospital had no choice but to close after an airstrike hit two ambulances, killing seven paramedics. “The nurses and doctors were terrified,” Dr. Kalakish said, adding that despite efforts to continue working, it became impossible to do so.
Dr. Shoshana Mazraani, the hospital’s emergency director, described witnessing the aftermath of the strike. She heard the paramedics’ cries for help but was held back by colleagues who feared further strikes.
Marjayoun hospital had already been struggling with limited staff before the strike, operating with only 20 doctors out of its usual 120. The closure, Dr. Mazraani said, was a “tragedy for the region” as the hospital served a large population and provided critical services such as dialysis.
In Beirut, Saint Therese hospital also sustained significant damage from a strike on Friday, forcing it to suspend operations, according to Nursing Director Rita Suleiman.
Other hospitals in southern Lebanon continue to operate under dire conditions. Dr. Mohammed Hamadeh, director of Tebnine hospital, recounted that a nearby blast shook their facility, but they are still trying to provide care, though staff cannot leave the hospital due to safety concerns.
Late Friday, Salah Ghandour hospital in Bint Jbeil closed after being shelled. The Israeli military stated the target was a nearby mosque it claimed was being used by Hezbollah fighters.
Israeli strikes have also hit medical centers in other parts of Lebanon. On Thursday, a medical center in central Beirut, linked to Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Organization, was hit, killing nine people and injuring 14 others. The Israeli army claimed it was targeting “terror assets.”
The Lebanese Red Cross reported that four of its paramedics were injured on Thursday while evacuating patients, despite coordinating with the Israeli army. Gabriel Karlsson, country manager for the British Red Cross in Beirut, urged for the protection of healthcare workers, emphasizing that Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are a vital lifeline for affected communities.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported that 28 healthcare workers were killed in Lebanon within 24 hours due to Israeli strikes, and many more staff are now too afraid to report to work.
Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad confirmed that 97 rescue workers have been killed since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel began last October, with more than 40 of those deaths occurring in the past three days.