Lebanon reports hits on hospitals, medical teams and ambulances, but avoids addressing how medical personnel are assisting terrorists or dealing with Hezbollah's use of civilian and medical facilities. Like Hamas, the terror organization extensively uses civilian infrastructure, and reports say terrorists and weapons are being transported via ambulances and medical vehicles.
To highlight the issue in international media, a headline in the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese outlet Al-Akhbar published on Saturday read, "Six hospitals between complete and temporary closure — the enemy begins its war on health facilities." Further, the number of Lebanese reports about medical personnel injured or killed in Israeli strikes has risen in recent days.
Hezbollah is also a political entity that operates medical services in Lebanon, with its medical body being the Islamic Health Authority. Established in 1984 and licensed by the Lebanese Interior Ministry in 1988, it provides healthcare services in Lebanese society, runs education and training programs, promotes medical projects and supports Hezbollah's terror activities.
This is in practice Hezbollah's "Medical Corps," serving its military wing under the guise of a civilian organization. Reports of casualties from the Islamic Health Authority were also during the war.
Other organizations besides Hezbollah operate medical personnel. The Amal Movement, which has been fighting against Israel near the border in recent months and suffered casualties, has its own medical team under the name Islamic Al-Rissala Scout Association. The Islamic Health Authority released the names of 11 casualties from Israeli strikes in various areas in southern Lebanon on Friday.
Reports of medics killed and wounded have been steadily coming in from Lebanon over the past two days, adding to the numbers mentioned last week by Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad, who reported 97 medical and emergency personnel killed since the start of the war and 188 wounded. He also claimed 9 hospitals had been targeted and 45 healthcare centers affected.
Reports on Friday said that 5 hospitals, 4 of them in southern Lebanon, were rendered inoperative due to Israeli strikes, including the Marjayoun Governmental Hospital which closed its doors after an Israeli strike targeted two ambulances at its main entrance, the Meiss Ej Jabal Hospital, which ceased operations due to road closures and disrupted supply lines and Salah Ghandour Hospital in Bint Jbeil.
Hezbollah, much Hamas in Gaza, uses civilian infrastructure including hospitals for terrorism. The IDF Spokesperson Unit reported on Saturday that the Israeli Air Force "with the direction of IDF intelligence, struck Hezbollah terrorists who were operating within a command center that was located inside a mosque adjacent to the Salah Ghandour Hospital in southern Lebanon.
“The command center was used by the Hezbollah terrorists to plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel." The statement also added Hezbollah continues to illegally use hospitals in the country.
Salah Ghandour Hospital issued a statement on Friday acknowledging the Israeli strike after receiving an evacuation warning beforehand. It said that nine medical staff were injured and that most of the medical staff had been evacuated. The statement didn’t address any Hezbollah activity inside the hospital.
Footage from IDF operations in Lebanon
(Video: CNN)
Hezbollah’s use of ambulances is also well-documented. A few months ago, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit revealed that Hezbollah uses ambulances from the Islamic Health Authority to transport terrorists and weapons.
"In recent days, we have observed increasing use of rescue vehicles to transport operatives and weapons by Hezbollah,” IDF Spokesperson for Arabic Media, COL Avichay Adraee, said on Friday.
“The IDF warns against this practice and calls on medical teams to distance themselves from the terror organization's operatives and refrain from cooperating with them. Any vehicle proven to carry an armed terrorist will be attacked regardless of its type,” he added.
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