Since October 7, 2023, nearly half of the Israeli attacks on healthcare in Lebanon—47%—have led to the killings of medical professionals or patients, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The alarming statistic surpassed fatality rates in any other active war worldwide, underscoring the devastating impact of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon and its healthcare system. 

In comparison, the global average for fatalities in attacks on healthcare stands at 13.3%, as reported by the SSA, based on data from 13 countries and territories, including Ukraine, Sudan, and the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). In oPt, 9.6% of healthcare-related incidents led to deaths.

From October 7, 2023, to November 18, 2024, the World Health Organization report indicated that 226 health workers and patients were killed, with an additional 199 injured in Lebanon due to the ongoing Israeli aggression.

Over this period, a total of 137 attacks on healthcare facilities were recorded by the SSA, further highlighting the brutal targeting of medical staff and infrastructure.

A breach of international humanitarian law 

The WHO’s representative in Lebanon, Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, emphasized that these statistics expose a concerning pattern.

"It’s unequivocal – depriving civilians of access to lifesaving care and targeting health providers is a breach of international humanitarian law," Dr. Abubakar underscored.

"The law prohibits the use of health facilities for military purposes – and even if that is the case, stringent conditions to taking action against them apply, including a duty to warn and to wait after warning," he pointed out.

International humanitarian law mandates that health workers and facilities should always be safeguarded during wars, and health facilities must never be used for military purposes, the report emphasized.

"There need to be consequences for not abiding by international law, and the principles of precaution, distinction, and proportionality should always be adhered to," said Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

She underlined that "indiscriminate attacks on health care are a violation of human rights and international law that cannot become the new normal, not in Gaza, not in Lebanon, nowhere."

In Lebanon, 68% of the incidents, as per WHO, have targeted health personnel, a pattern similar to those seen in Gaza over the past year. Most attacks in Lebanon have affected health transport (63%) and health facilities (26%).

Dr. Abubakar noted the devastating impact of these attacks.

"Casualty numbers among health workers of this scope would debilitate any country, not just Lebanon. But what the numbers alone cannot convey is the long-term impact, the treatments for health conditions missed, women and girls prevented from accessing maternal, sexual, and reproductive health services, undiagnosed treatable diseases, and, ultimately, the lives lost because of the absence of health care. That is the impact that’s hard to quantify," he stressed.