Israeli strikes kill four paramedics in southern Lebanon ambulance attacks
Three consecutive Israeli strikes on ambulances in southern Lebanon killed four paramedics and wounded six others, according to eyewitness accounts.
Four paramedics were killed and six others wounded in three consecutive Israeli strikes on ambulances responding to emergency calls in the village of Mayfadoun in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to eyewitness accounts and emergency service officials.
The attacks began when Israeli forces struck two ambulances, destroying the vehicles and injuring six of eight crew members. When a third team of paramedics arrived to assist the wounded, they were also targeted by an Israeli drone strike less than six minutes after their arrival, killing 30-year-old team leader Mahdi Abu Zaid.
Mohammed Jaber, a 43-year-old paramedic who witnessed the scene, described finding the first ambulances destroyed with blown tires and shattered windows, and crew members covered in blood. Video footage from a GoPro camera worn by one of the paramedics captured the moment of the third strike as medical workers administered first aid to wounded colleagues.
The Israeli military said it was aware of reports about the ambulance attacks and that "the incident is under review." The strikes occurred during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict before a 10-day truce took effect Friday.
The attacks have drawn condemnation from the United Nations human rights office, which called intentionally targeting medics a potential war crime. The Lebanese Health Ministry reports at least 100 medical workers have been killed since Israel's military campaign began in Lebanon.
The first two ambulance teams were dispatched by health organizations affiliated with Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal movement. According to the World Health Organization, 59 primary health care centers have been shuttered due to Israeli attacks, including strikes on Lebanon's Tebnine Government Hospital that wounded 11 medical workers this week.