Israel killed 12 medical workers in an attack on a medical center in southern Lebanon on Friday night, bringing to 31 the number of health workers killed in the country by Israel in the last 12 days.
A primary health care center in the city of Burj Qalaouiyah was hit by Israeli rockets late on Friday, setting it on fire and causing the structure to collapse on staff inside. The attack killed doctors, paramedics and nurses on duty, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, which said in a statement that it “violated all international humanitarian laws.”
Human rights groups have said any attack on medical workers is a war crime, regardless of their political affiliation.
Israel has carried out at least 37 attacks against health workers and facilities in Lebanon, including against state civil defense and the Lebanese Red Cross, since the current hostilities began, Lebanese authorities said.
The war in Lebanon began on March 2, after Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets at Israel, triggering a rapid Israeli bombing campaign across the country. Since then, fighting has intensified: Hezbollah continues to fire rockets and Israeli troops invade southern Lebanon.
According to the Ministry of Health, at least 826 people have been killed in Lebanon due to Israeli attacks, and around 1 million have been displaced.
On Saturday morning, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee accused Hezbollah of using ambulances and medical facilities for military purposes, and that Israeli forces would “act in accordance with international law” if Hezbollah did not stop. The spokesperson did not provide credible evidence for his claim.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health in a statement denied the Israeli army’s claim that ambulances are used for military purposes, calling it “nothing more than a justification for the crimes it is committing against humanity.”
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 care workers.
A UN commission of inquiry has accused Israel of war crimes for its attacks on Gaza health facilities during its two-year war in the strip. A senior prosecutor at the international criminal court said in 2024 that claims about the presence of Hamas fighters in Gaza hospitals besieged by the Israeli army had been “grossly exaggerated.” Gaza’s healthcare system has been largely destroyed by continued Israeli attacks.
Humanitarian groups have warned that the Israeli military’s accusation that Hezbollah is using health facilities for military purposes could be used as justification for further attacks on such facilities in Lebanon.
Under international humanitarian law, medical workers, regardless of political affiliation, are considered civilians and enjoy protected status.
