Medical staff, aid groups and civilians in southern Lebanon warn that Israeli strikes are increasingly hitting hospitals, ambulances and health workers, echoing the destruction seen in Gaza. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports 54 health professionals killed, 152 attacks on emergency medical services and the closure of six hospitals and 49 clinics. Aid teams including Interburns have opened the country’s first public burn unit in Sidon as hospitals grapple with power outages, staff shortages and mass displacement.
Doctors Warn Israel Is Targeting Lebanon’s Health System — Sidon Becomes A Critical Front
Mohammad Qubaisi, 53, with burn wounds from an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon, undergoes surgery by Dr. Mohammed Ziara, left, and his team, at the Sidon Government Hospital, in Sidon, Lebanon, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
SIDON, Lebanon — Medical workers, aid groups and civilians say Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah is increasingly striking hospitals, ambulances and health personnel in southern Lebanon, mirroring the destruction seen in Gaza after Oct. 7, 2023. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports dozens of medical staff killed, numerous attacks on emergency services and the forced closure of health facilities amid mass displacement and an overstretched health system.
Smoke rises from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Burns Unit Opens As Hospitals Struggle
Dr. Mohammed Ziara, a burns surgeon who worked at Shifa Hospital in Gaza before evacuating to Egypt, has joined the U.K.-based nonprofit Interburns in Sidon. His team helped establish the first specialized burn unit in Lebanon’s public health system to treat an influx of blast and burn victims as front-line hospitals cope with power cuts, shortages of staff and dwindling supplies.
A man with burn wounds from an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon lying in bed at the Sidon Government Hospital in Sidon, Lebanon, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Mounting Toll On Health Workers
Since fighting between Israel and Hezbollah resumed on March 2, Lebanon’s Health Ministry says at least 54 health professionals have been killed and that there have been 152 attacks on emergency medical workers and ambulances. The ministry reports that six hospitals and 49 health clinics have been forced to close after strikes or threats, stretching an already fragile public health system thin.
A man with burn wounds from an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon lying in bed at the Sidon Government Hospital in Sidon, Lebanon, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“The health system is on its knees,” Ziara said as Sidon Government Hospital endured a temporary blackout before backup generators restarted. “Front-line hospitals lack staff and supplies and are overwhelmed.”
Claims, Denials And Human Rights Concerns
Israel’s military says Hezbollah embeds fighters in civilian areas and sometimes uses medical facilities for military purposes, arguing those sites can become legitimate targets under international law. The military has not provided publicly verifiable evidence for those specific claims. Hezbollah denies using hospitals for militant activity. Human Rights Watch and other observers say public statements by some Israeli officials — including comparisons to Gaza operations in Rafah and Beit Hanoun — raise alarm about the intent and proportionality of strikes.
Displaced people who fled Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sit inside tents used as shelters as a rainbow breaks through the rain in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
On March 28, the World Health Organization reported that seven medics were killed in strikes across several villages; video of one incident shows two rapid strikes, the second hitting rescuers who rushed to assist wounded journalists. Israeli forces accused some of the victims of affiliation with Hezbollah, a justification that human rights monitors say echoes explanations used during Israel’s Gaza campaigns.
Human Cost And Displacement
Large-scale evacuation orders have pushed more than 1 million people northward, according to local reports. Hospitals such as Nabih Berri Hospital have been overwhelmed, forcing patient transfers that require coordination among the Lebanese army, the Health Ministry and U.N. peacekeepers — a process that medical staff warn can cause life-threatening delays.
Survivors recount strikes that arrived with little or no warning. Mohammad Qubaisi, a Beirut resident who survived a March strike that destroyed his apartment, lost his 15-year-old son in the attack; he and other civilians say they were not given evacuation guidance prior to the strike.
Outlook
As the conflict continues, Lebanon’s health infrastructure faces a severe humanitarian strain: rising casualty numbers, damaged or shuttered facilities, and shortages of electricity, staff and supplies. Aid groups and human rights organizations are calling for urgent measures to protect medical personnel and ensure civilians can access care.
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