Ambulances under fire - Lebanese rescue crews sound alarm over hampered operations amid Israeli attacks in Nabatieh

"Paramedics in southern Lebanon say they are operating under extremely difficult conditions amid the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah conflict, following the killing of several members and damage to multiple centres and vehicles. Footage from Nabatieh Governorate on Monday shows a damaged firetruck outside a medical centre, where paramedics rush to treat the injured and bring in the dead after recovering them from beneath the rubble. "We face difficulties evacuating the wounded from some areas," said Khodr Ghandoor, Head of the Civil Defence Branch at Al-Resala Association for Health Ambulance Services. A few days ago, we encountered such a case when we rushed to the site of an airstrike in Nabatieh al-Fawqa. When we got within about 200 metres of the site, we were hit by Israeli artillery fire," he recounted. He noted that operational procedures have changed due to safety concerns, with the number of paramedics sent per mission reduced 'out of fear of being targeted.' "One of the Al-Resala centres in Meifdoun was hit, resulting in the killing of one paramedic and the injury of six others, in addition to damage to four ambulances, a fire truck and a rescue vehicle," he added. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reports that 40 people have been killed and 119 others injured among paramedic staff. In addition, 69 ambulances were attacked, resulting in damage to 44 of them, and 18 ambulance centers were also targeted. On March 15, an airstrike struck a primary healthcare center in Burj Qalaouiyeh, southern Lebanon, killing 12 medical staff - including doctors, paramedics and nurses - and injuring another. The World Health Organization confirmed the strike via United Nations channels, but did not explicitly name the source of the attack. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) maintains that their forces do not target civilians or civilian infrastructure in Lebanon, asserting that their operations are strictly limited to 'Hezbollah facilities.' The 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah lasted roughly a year before a ceasefire was reached. But tensions have flared again with Israel launching a new military operation earlier this month, following Hezbollah's entry into the US-Israeli conflict with Iran."

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