The Lebanese Ministry of Health has announced that 163 people were killed and 272 injured among health and ambulance workers during the year of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon, stressing that this amounts to a “war crime”.

Health Minister Firas Abiad said during a press conference Friday that “the total number of martyrs in the health and hospital sector so far has reached 163 martyrs and 272 injured”, noting that the Israeli attacks have affected 55 hospitals, 36 of which were directly targeted, resulting in the forced closure of 8 hospitals.

He stressed that the easy way of deliberately targeting health and ambulance workers and health facilities constitutes a violation of the principle of proportionality and distinction, which is the cornerstone of international humanitarian law.

The Lebanese Minister said that the attacks are not isolated incidents, but rather reflect a disregard for humanitarian standards, causing great harm to vulnerable and fragile communities by hindering their access to
life-saving care.

He explained that documenting such crimes constitutes a necessary and inevitable step towards seeking accountability and ensuring that violations are not ignored, forgotten, or allowed to recur, stressing the need to reaffirm the sanctity of health care and that attacks on it are attacks on shared human values.

The Lebanese Minister of Health renewed his call on the international community to assume its responsibilities in implementing international humanitarian law and holding those responsible for violations accountable and ensuring that they are not repeated.

Source: Qatar News Agency