BEIRUT — A paramedic was killed in an Israeli strike on an ambulance in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, according to local health officials, as Israeli ground and air operations continue in the area.
The strike targeted an ambulance belonging to the Islamic Health Committee while it was transporting a wounded person near Bint Jbeil Hospital on Sunday. Both the paramedic and the patient were killed, spokesperson Mahmoud Karaki told reporters. A medical warehouse in the same city was also destroyed in a related attack.
The incident occurred amid expanded Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah positions. Israeli forces have conducted targeted ground raids and airstrikes in villages near the border, including areas around Khiam, Qantara and Bint Jbeil. The operations aim to dismantle rocket launch sites, weapons caches and command infrastructure, according to statements from the Israel Defense Forces.
The Lebanese Health Ministry and the World Health Organization have reported multiple attacks on health care facilities and workers in southern Lebanon. Prior to the latest incident, the WHO verified that 51 Lebanese health workers had been killed since March 2, including nine paramedics in five separate attacks on Saturday alone. Overall, dozens of paramedics have died in the fighting, according to preliminary data from health authorities.
The strikes form part of the wider regional conflict that began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli operations against Iranian targets. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, has continued rocket fire into northern Israel in response to the Lebanon operations. The fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people in southern Lebanon and caused hundreds of reported casualties across the region.
Lebanese officials have described the attacks on medical teams as violations of international humanitarian law. The Islamic Health Committee, affiliated with Hezbollah, operates ambulances and health centers in southern Lebanon.
As of Monday, Israeli forces maintained positions and conducted ongoing operations in southern Lebanon, with no immediate reports of further strikes on medical vehicles in Bint Jbeil. Diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire, including talks hosted in Pakistan, have continued without a breakthrough. The Lebanese Armed Forces have deployed additional units south of the Litani River, though progress remains limited.
