Three successive Israeli attacks have killed at least three paramedics in southern Lebanon, including one featured in a BBC report this week, Lebanese officials say, as they accuse Israel of deliberately targeting health workers in its war against Hezbollah.
A team from the Islamic Health Association was attacked as it tried to rescue people from the site of an Israeli attack in the town of Mayfadoun, in the Nabatieh region on Wednesday, according to the Lebanese health ministry. One paramedic was killed and a second remains missing.
When a second team from the Islamic Health Association headed to the site, it too was attacked, and three paramedics were wounded, the ministry said. Then, two ambulances of the Risala Scout Association and the Nabatieh Ambulance Service, which had been deployed to the site, were also attacked. Two paramedics were killed and three others wounded.
The victims included Fadel Serhan, a 43-year-old paramedic with the Risala Scout Association, who was known for his commitment to helping others despite the dangers posed by the ongoing conflict.
More than 2,100 people have been killed and 7,000 others wounded since the start of the war in Lebanon on March 2, 2026, including at least 260 women and 172 children, according to the country's health ministry. The ministry has reported 91 health professionals killed and 208 wounded during this war, with over 120 Israeli attacks recorded on ambulances and medical facilities.
The Lebanese health ministry condemned the recent attacks as a 'flagrant crime.' They stated, 'Paramedics have become direct targets, pursued relentlessly in a blatant violation that confirms a total disregard for all norms and principles established by international humanitarian law.'
Despite previous denials, the Israeli military has yet to respond to requests for clarification regarding these deadly incidents.
