'Israel' kills at least 28 on-duty medics in 24 hours in Lebanon: WHO
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A WHO representative in Lebanon tells a briefing that all of the healthcare personnel murdered in the previous day had been on duty assisting the injured.
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Paramedic stuff left on the debris after an airstrike hit an apartment in a multistory building, in central Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
At least 28 on-duty medics have been killed by "Israel" in Lebanon in the past 24 hours, the World Health Organization's Director-General, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Thursday.
Ghebreyesus said during an online news briefing that many health workers "are not reporting for duty and have fled the areas where they work due to bombardments," demanding improved safeguards for health workers.
"This is severely limiting the provision of mass trauma management and continuity of health services," according to Ghebreyesus.
He noted that owing to flying constraints, the global health organization will be unable to send a large scheduled consignment of trauma and medical supplies to the nation on Friday.
Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, WHO's representative in Lebanon, told the briefing that all of the healthcare personnel murdered in the previous day had been on duty, assisting the injured.
Abubakar explained that although hospitals have been evacuated, "I think what I can say for now is the capacity for mass casualty management exists, but it's just a matter of time until the system actually reaches its limit."
The Lebanese Health Ministry has reported that Israeli aggression on various Lebanese areas has killed 1,974 people and wounded 9,384 others since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the country on October 8, 2023, and its expansion about a week ago.
Lebanon's caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad announced that the 1,974 death toll includes 127 children and 261 women, in addition to 9,384 wounded.
According to Abiad, the raids launched by the Israeli occupation targeted many hospitals, killing 40 healthcare workers.
EU's Borrell condemns Israeli attack on Lebanese health workers
In yet another act of Israeli aggression against Lebanon, targeting the heart of Beirut, the Israeli occupation has once again attacked healthcare workers, adding to its flagrant violations of international law.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell swiftly condemned the Israeli attack in a post on X, emphasizing that "Israel" targeted not only civilians but also healthcare workers.
IDF targeted once again healthcare workers overnight, in central Beirut: 7 people including paramedics were killed.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) October 3, 2024
Not only civilians are victims of attacks, including in densely populated areas, but they are deprived of emergency care.
I condemn this violation of IHL.
This is not the first instance of the Israeli occupation targeting healthcare workers; rather, it has become a disturbing pattern that demonstrates a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law.
Last week, over a dozen paramedics were killed in Lebanon in Israeli attacks, according to the country's Health Ministry.
The Ministry confirmed that 14 paramedics were killed on September 27 during two days of relentless Israeli bombardment in the eastern and southern regions of Lebanon, as well as in Beirut, where Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was martyred.
In its statement, the Ministry strongly denounced the Israeli occupation for its continuous attacks on medical facilities, underscoring that "paramedics do not engage in hostilities" and deserve protection during times of war.
“The Israeli occupation forces have accumulated their attacks on paramedics and health centers in recent days. This series of attacks led to the martyrdom of fourteen paramedics in two days," it continued.
The statement emphasized that the Israeli occupation's repeated attacks on health centers and vehicles "flout international laws and norms, particularly the Geneva Convention," which underscores the need for the neutrality of health facilities and healthcare workers in war zones to enable them to fulfill their humanitarian responsibilities.
