Healthcare Under Attack In Lebanon: MSF Condemns The Killing Of Paramedics By Israeli Forces

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) strongly condemns Israeli forces’ attacks against paramedics in Lebanon, including the recent killing of two Lebanese Civil Defence workers in Nabatiyeh, and reiterates its urgent call for the protection of medical and rescue personnel.

On 12 May 2026, a drone strike hit three paramedics as they were attempting to assist an injured person who survived a previous attack. Two of them were killed on the spot. Another one, wounded. Paramedics from an ambulance that had departed from Najdeh Al-Shaabiyeh hospital to also aid the injured of the first attack witnessed the strike on their colleagues, transferred the injured paramedic to the hospital and later had to return to the site to collect human remains from the scene.

“We are outraged over the killing of paramedics who were simply doing their job, taking huge risks to save lives. Attacks on healthcare are unacceptable and must not be normalised,” said Jeremy Ristord, MSF Head of Mission in Lebanon.

While scaling up support at Najdeh Al-Shaabiyeh hospital to respond to mass casualty incidents in the past months, MSF teams have also worked side by side with paramedics and frontline responders across Nabatiyeh Governorate, including the Lebanese Civil Defence, sharing days and nights of emergency response as they bring patients to facilities, and supporting colleagues who continue working despite profound loss and fear.

The 12 May incident is part of an alarming pattern. Over recent weeks, MSF teams in Lebanon have been witnessing the consequences of airstrikes, drone strikes, and artillery fire, which are damaging hospitals, ambulances, and medical equipment, and killing or injuring civilians, health workers, and first responders. Lebanese health authorities, media and other humanitarian organizations have also reported this kind of violence, including repeated attacks while paramedics are rescuing people.

In Nabatiyeh and across southern Lebanon, rescue and medical teams are increasingly forced to delay or limit lifesaving interventions because of the fear of being targeted. Ambulance crews supported by MSF report spending only minutes at blast sites due to the risk of repeated strikes, avoiding the use of excavation equipment, and delaying evacuations, leaving some people trapped under rubble for hours or days. MSF has treated patients whose conditions were critically worsened by these delays, including severe trauma cases who later died from their injuries.

In total, since MSF started supporting Najdeh Al-Shaabiyeh hospital at the beginning of March, 725 injured patients have been treated, and 232 arrived dead or died in hospital.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2 March and 12 May, 161 attacks against healthcare were recorded, resulting in 110 deaths and 252 injuries. This included 15 attacks resulting in 12 deaths and 21 injuries that occurred after the start of the ceasefire on 17 April, that has not led to a cessation of hostilities and has not allowed displaced populations to return home or people stranded in heavily-targeted areas to seek safety.

Healthcare workers, first responders, ambulances, and medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law. Their killing not only devastates families and colleagues, but further weakens already strained emergency response and healthcare systems.

MSF calls for an immediate end to the continuous attacks on medical and rescue personnel, facilities and offices, as well as on the violence that continuously places civilians and those trying to save their lives at risk.

Note:

MSF is supporting several paramedical and emergency services in the governorates of Nabatiyeh and the South, including the Lebanese Civil Defence team targeted in the 12 May incident, through the provision of ambulance equipment, first aid medication and supplies, fuel, and protective gears.

Our teams in the two southern governorates are also supporting seven hospitals with donations of fuel, supplies and medications. In four of these hospitals, we have teams working with the hospitals' staff in responding to ER needs. In addition, we are running mobile clinics to provide medical services to people there.

About:

MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. Every year more than 120 Australians and New Zealanders go on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières working as: doctors, midwives, psychologists, laboratory technicians, human resource/finance coordinators, pharmacists, mental health specialists and logisticians. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender.

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