Amnesty Urges Investigation into Attacks on Lebanon’s Health Sector by Israel

During its recent conflict with Hezbollah, Israel launched numerous attacks on healthcare services and workers in Lebanon. Amnesty International called for an investigation into these actions, stating they might qualify as war crimes.

A truce on November 27 mostly ended over a year of fighting, which included two intense months of conflict where Israel invaded southern Lebanon. Throughout this period, Amnesty reported that the Israeli military repeatedly targeted health facilities, ambulances, and medical personnel, all of which are protected under international law.

Amnesty urged Lebanon to empower the International Criminal Court to investigate these alleged crimes. They stated that victims deserve justice and a chance to seek remedies for the harm they faced.

Israel justified its attacks by claiming that Hezbollah was using ambulances linked to the Islamic Health Committee to transport fighters and weapons. However, Hezbollah denied these allegations. The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment on Amnesty’s findings.

In December, Lebanon’s former health minister, Firass Abiad, reported that the conflict included 67 attacks on hospitals. Of those, 40 hospitals were directly targeted, resulting in 16 deaths. He also noted that emergency response organizations faced 238 attacks, leading to 206 fatalities. Additionally, 256 emergency vehicles, including ambulances, were also hit.

Amnesty International investigated four specific Israeli attacks on health facilities and vehicles between October 3 and 9 of last year. Their findings revealed that these attacks killed 19 healthcare workers, injured 11, and damaged multiple ambulances and medical facilities. The organization found no evidence that these facilities were being used for military purposes during the attacks.

Despite reaching out to the Israeli military for clarification on these incidents, Amnesty did not receive a response. The group stated that the military had not provided sufficient justification or evidence of military targets at the locations attacked, which jeopardized an already fragile healthcare system.

The Lebanese health ministry reported that over 4,000 individuals lost their lives due to the conflict, which started just one day after Israel initiated a military operation in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. The extensive destruction across southern and eastern Lebanon, particularly in Beirut’s southern suburbs, has led to reconstruction costs estimated at over $10 billion.

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Lebanon-Israel conflict, Israel, Lebanon, healthcare workers, war crime