Israeli Strikes Have Killed 164 Health Workers in Lebanon

On Saturday, Israeli strikes targeted the southern Lebanese municipality of Bazouriyeh, killing a civil defense medic and wounding five people.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the killing of the medic brought the total number of health workers killed by Israeli strikes since October 2023 to 164. Another 275 medical workers have been wounded by Israel’s bombing campaign.

A day earlier, Lebanese Health Minister Dr. Firass Abiad told reporters that Israel had launched at least 200 attacks on first-aid agencies and attacked hospitals 58 times. The Israeli campaign in Lebanon has forced eight hospitals to close, and seven other hospitals are only partially functioning.

The Sahel General Hospital in Haret Hreik, which is just south of Beirut, was recently forced to evacuate over Israeli claims that a stash of Hezbollah money and gold was stored in a bunker under the hospital. Journalists who were given access to the hospital found no evidence of the claim.

Abiad said that Israeli strikes have also targeted 158 ambulances, 57 fire trucks, and 15 rescue vehicles. He said the bodies of eight first responders who were killed in an attack on ambulances two weeks ago have not been recovered.

According to the latest numbers from Lebanon’s Health Ministry, at least 2,672 people have been killed and 12,468 have been wounded by Israel’s bombing campaign since last October. The majority have been killed since Israel significantly escalated its attack on Lebanon on September 23.