Dar al-Amal Hospital's director Ali Alam. (Picture provided by our correspondent Sarah Abdallah)
BEIRUT — “Ali Alam managed Baalbeck's Dar al-Amal Hospital with remarkable dedication. He would offer discounts to those struggling financially,” a friend of Alam told L'Orient Today.
On Friday, Ali Alam was killed alongside his friends in an Israeli airstrike in the Bekaa region, just minutes after they were celebrating Lebanon’s Independence Day.
At around 9 p.m. on Friday, Israeli warplanes targeted Alam's house in the village of Douris (Baalbeck district) after he finished having dinner with his friends, most of whom are employees at Dar al-Amal Hospital. Among those killed was Bilal Qataya, the director of the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority in the Bekaa.
'A very decent and friendly man'
Contacted by L'Orient Today, Mohamad Ali Ahmad, a friend of Alam, stated that it remains unclear whether the target of the strike was Alam, Qataya, or both.
Alam's house is located about 400 meters from Dar al-Amal Hospital.
"Ali did not belong to any political party, but he had good relationships with all of them," Ahmad said, adding that he also knew how to handle local clans, which are often difficult to deal with.
He described Alam as "a very decent and friendly man" who managed the hospital well, always helping everyone, especially those in need.
Despite his death, Ahmad expects the hospital to continue operating without disruption, as Alam's father, who founded the hospital, is still alive and capable of managing it.
Ahmad also noted that "Israel had previously threatened the Baalbeck region and institutions it considers to be serving Hezbollah's environment, including Dar al-Amal Hospital."
Condemnations
On Saturday, medical staff in the Bekaa region organized a solidarity stand in front of Dar al-Amal Hospital in Douris, to denounce the Israeli airstrike that targeted Allam and the medical staff on Friday evening.
During the protest, Abbas Shukr, director of Baalbek’s Governmental Hospital, called the strike a "cowardly operation par excellence… which will not affect our determination."
"We will remain the support for the wounded and sick in the face of the barbaric war, and Dar Al-Amal will remain a shining beacon in humanitarian work."
An official from Hezbollah's media unit, Malek Yaghi, emphasized that the "Israeli enemy violated all international treaties, moral rules and international covenants without any accountability or control."
He also read a statement on behalf of Hezbollah condemning the strike, stating that the "assassination is the result of the Israeli enemy's failure in the field against the valiant fighters on the battlefield."
Hezbollah and Israel have recently been engaged in heavy clashes in South Lebanon amid the ongoing ground operation launched by the Israeli army on Sept. 30.
Furthermore, the mayor of Baalbek, Mustafa al-Shal, called on the "countries supporting the Israeli enemy to look at what is happening in Gaza and Baalbek, particularly in terms of targeting medical staff."
In a statement released after the strike, the Ministry of Health said that what happened was part of the "Israeli enemy army's ongoing aggressions against health professionals.”
Since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel began in October 2023 and escalated further in September 2024, more than 3,650 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 214 members of the health sector.