In one of the deadliest strikes in the current round of fighting at the Lebanon border, Israel attacked a site in Hebbariye, southern Lebanon, killing at least seven paramedics. The strike destroyed the building in Hebbariye that housed the Islamic Emergency and Relief Corps.
The official Israel narrative was, of course, starkly different, reporting that they’d attacked a “military building” and killed a “significant terrorist” and several other operatives associated with the Jamaa al-Islamiya.
Locals mocked the story, saying that it was plainly a lie, and that this building, used by Islamic Emergency and Relief Corps paramedics, was a simple civilian target that Israel chose to attack.
The locals said they believe this is part of a concerted Israeli effort to depopulate the southern part of Lebanon along the Israeli border. Nearly 100,000 Lebanese residents have fled the south because of the ongoing attacks. While most Hebbariye residents haven’t done so yet, this overnight attack on the paramedics raises the concern that their locality is now in the line of fire.
Hezbollah responded to the attack by firing around 30 rockets against the city of Kiryat Shmona and a nearby army base in northern Israel. Many of the rockets were intercepted, though at least three hit their targets.
One struck an industrial building in the city, killing a 25-year-old Druze from a nearby village and wounding at least one other. Hezbollah officials emphasized they intend to retaliate against the Israelis for the paramedic attack.
Over the six months of conflict, Israel has repeatedly targeted paramedics and ambulances.
As it did today, Israel offers a very different story about the intended target of such assaults, but the result is that being a rescue worker in southern Lebanon is to be in harm’s way.
