Israeli forces carried out a double-tap attack against Nabatieh today, wounding two civilians in the initial strike and then attacking the ambulance that was attempting to rescue them. The ambulance was reportedly damaged, and no additional casualties were reported in the incident.
The Lebanese Health Ministry issued a statement condemning the attack on the rescue workers, which was just the latest in the long line of Israeli strikes during the course of this war targeting protected health care workers in violation of international law.
The IDF, for its part, issued a blanket denial of the incident, claiming to be “unaware” of any attacks taking place in Nabatieh at the time the area near the ambulance was struck. Israel strikes southern Lebanon, including Nabatieh, multiple times a day.
An image of southern Lebanon after the November 2024 ceasefire began. ©MSF
Explosives were also dropped in another part of Nabatieh, causing fires, and incendiaries were dropped in the University District on the outskirts of Kfar Roumine, though no casualties were reported in these incidents.
The UN Human Rights Office issued a statement warning of growing risks to women who are being newly displaced in the latest rounds of Israeli evacuation orders, noting that many of them lack health care and that pregnant women are being forced to evacuate their homes and deliver to term in crowded conditions without access to medical care.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke today to a delegation of Maronite Christians, and assured them that Israel would not be allowed to continue the occupation of any part of Lebanon. He said they were united in goals of ending the Israeli occupation and facilitating the return of any civilians captured by Israel over the course of the war.
Those goals are relatively uniform politically across Lebanon, though how exactly to see them achieved is unclear, as seven rounds of talks with Israel have gained virtually no concessions from the Israeli side, Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory has consistently been a “red line” and increasingly the Israeli negotiators are segueing the matter toward things like Lebanon agreeing to dig up historic Lebanese Jewish graves and sending the remains to Israel.
