Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike on the Al-Bouwaida area in the Marjayoun district of southern Lebanon on Nov. 2, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
Lebanon's health sector is at the heart of fierce Israeli air assaults, with the south of the country and the southern suburbs of Beirut hardest hit, reports CNN in a lengthy analysis. In the first month of the all-out air offensive in Lebanon, which began on Sept. 23, Israeli strikes damaged 34 hospitals, killed 111 emergency medical technicians and hit 107 ambulances, according to data compiled by the Lebanese Health Ministry.
CNN examined more than 240 air strikes in Lebanon and found that at least 24 hospitals were within the 500-meter danger zone — used by the Israeli army as a parameter for evacuation zones — of the bombs. Israel dropped munitions at a so-called “lethal” distance — 340 meters — from at least 19 hospitals, showed the analysis, which covered the first month of the war.
Ten hospitals in Beirut and its southern suburbs were in the “lethal zone” of Israeli air strikes, i.e. the 340-meter radius where bomb fragments can kill or injure people and rip open buildings, according to CNN's verifications. Nine hospitals have been damaged, three of which have been forced to close as a result of Israeli strikes since Sept. 23. Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicate that around 20 percent of hospitals have been damaged.
Responding to CNN's request for comment, Israeli forces said they were operating in strict compliance with international law and accused Hezbollah of being deeply entrenched in civilian areas. “Hezbollah strategically places its military assets near medical facilities, such as hospitals and clinics, as part of its human shield strategy,” the Israeli military said.
For a country that has experienced many cycles of war and crisis, Lebanon's health sector has rarely been so vulnerable to firepower, outgoing Health Minister Dr. Firas Abiad told CNN. Abiad accused Israel of “militarizing” access to healthcare and drew a parallel with Gaza, where Israel has openly attacked hospitals, accusing them of having links with the Hamas movement.
In its latest assessment published on Nov. 1, the Health Ministry reported that Israeli military operations in Lebanon had caused 178 deaths and 292 injuries in the health sector. The Ministry added that 243 vehicles had been hit by the strikes, as well as 84 health centers or outpatient facilities and 40 hospitals.
