Doctors Warn Israel Destroying Lebanon Health System is Gaza Tactic

Doctors and humanitarian groups warn that Israeli military operations in Lebanon are increasingly targeting healthcare infrastructure, echoing patterns observed in Gaza and placing an already fragile system under acute strain.

Since renewed fighting on March 2, Israeli strikes have killed at least 56 health professionals and targeted more than 150 ambulances and emergency responders, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

The attacks have forced the closure of 6 hospitals and 49 clinics, while additional incidents, including a strike that killed 2 paramedics and wounded a third, have intensified concerns about systematic targeting.

Amnesty International said on March 19 that Israel is “deploying the same deadly playbook it used in 2024 in Lebanon to kill dozens of health workers and devastate healthcare services.”

Medical workers with experience in Gaza describe familiar patterns. “I’ve lived this before,” said Dr. Mohammed Ziara, recalling his time at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital. “I feel what these people feel.”

The Israeli military says Hezbollah operates within civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, making them legitimate targets, though it has not provided evidence. Hezbollah denies these claims.

Human Rights Watch said the scale and framing of operations mark a shift. “There’s a new kind of brazenness in declaring an intent to commit unlawful attacks,” said researcher Ramzi Kaiss.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said operations in southern Lebanon would follow the model used in Gaza cities such as Rafah and Beit Hanoun.

WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on March 28 that attacks killed 9 paramedics in a single day, bringing the monthly toll to 51.

The war has killed 1,461 people and wounded 4,430, while more than 1 million civilians have been displaced northward. Hospitals such as Sidon Government Hospital are overwhelmed, facing shortages of staff, beds, and supplies.

“The health system is on its knees,” Ziara said, describing power outages and capacity constraints in frontline facilities.

Civilian accounts describe strikes hitting residential areas without warning, compounding fear and displacement. Patients face delays due to complex coordination between the army, Health Ministry, and UN peacekeepers.

Doctors Against Genocide reported 128 medical facilities hit, warning that such attacks aim “to ensure people die.”

Rescue workers themselves are increasingly at risk, with repeated incidents of strikes hitting first responders arriving at attack sites.