'Very clear evidence' Israel is targeting health sector in Lebanon, Minister of Health says

Firass Abiad tells The National Israel has conducted 20 attacks on healthcare facilities

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Israel has been attacking emergency crews and health workers since the beginning of its extensive air campaign in Lebanon this week, the country's Health Minister told The National on Thursday. He said there was “very clear evidence" the strikes were intentional.

The air bombardment has killed at least 700 people, including nine ambulance crew and firefighters, and injured thousands, including 26 healthcare workers, Firass Abiad added.

“Israel boasts of having a high level of intelligence,” he said. "So, if we take it at face value, it is very difficult to believe these attacks are not deliberate. When they can pinpoint a single Hezbollah operative in an apartment, it's hard to think they don't know this is an ambulance."

Before this week's escalation, more than a dozen healthcare workers in southern Lebanon had been killed during a months-long war of attrition. One attack, which killed seven people, was described by Human Rights Watch as a breach of international law.

“We have documented a total of 20 attacks on healthcare facilities, ambulances or firefighters,” Mr Abiad said. Israel is using the same “modus operandi” as that used in Gaza, he added. “Israel's targeting of healthcare personnel and their vehicles has delayed access to care, unfortunately resulting in an increase in casualties.”

At least 1,151 Palestinian healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October, health authorities in the enclave said. Rights groups have accused Israel of destroying Gaza's healthcare system through consecutive attacks on medical sites, the arbitrary detention of health staff and the blocking of supplies.

The Israeli military continued its aerial campaign on Lebanon on Thursday, amid calls by nations includeing the UAE, US and France to endorse a proposal for a 21-day ceasefire. Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley killed at least 28 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said.

Mr Abiad said most of the casualties were civilians, including many women and children, and the method used for counting the deaths followed a “rigorous mechanism” in co-ordination with hospitals and ambulance services, with a team for each region. “Look at the geographical distribution. The casualties include villages that are antagonistic to Hezbollah. Look at the buildings targeted – they are residential,” he said.

He said Lebanon filed a complaint with the UN Security Council over what he described as indiscriminate attacks that breach international humanitarian law. “Unfortunately, because Israel acted with impunity and without accountability to the international community, it is now repeating the same actions in its war on Lebanon,” he said.

Lebanon has been struggling with a severe economic crisis that left its health sector in disarray even before the latest conflict. “It is doing its best under difficult circumstances”, with support from international donors, Mr Abiad said. “The best thing for the health system would be to reach a ceasefire, allowing this carnage and indiscriminate killing to stop,” he added.