AT DAWN on Sunday, Israeli warplanes launched over 30 raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut, in the ‘most violent attack’ on Lebanon since September 23.
The official Lebanese News Agency reported that the raids targeted gas stations and several buildings in various parts of the capital, only one day after violent air attacks on several villages in the Tyre district, killing seven people.
A Lebanese security official said these were the first attacks on the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, while the Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed that the number killed since October 8th, 2023, has now ‘risen to 2,036 martyrs in addition to 9,653 wounded’.
On the other hand, Hezbollah announced that its fighters confronted an Israeli occupation army force in the south, killing and wounding its members.
It also targeted Israeli troops near Haifa Bay and in the Al-Manara settlement, in addition to bombing the Kiryat Shmona settlement and several other settlements with rockets and combat drones.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah denied news reported by Agence France-Presse and attributed to ‘senior sources in the party’ about its organisational situation, the conditions of its officials and leaders, and their fate.
Hezbollah media relations department said in a statement: ‘We do not have sources in Hezbollah, and our position is usually issued in an official statement,’ stressing that the circulation of such rumours is part of the psychological war against the resistance and its supporters.
For its part, the World Health Organisation announced in a statement on X that Lebanon is facing a health crisis, citing the killing of 73 employees in the health sector out of the total number of deaths ‘estimated at 1,974 martyrs, in addition to 9,384 wounded, and 34,6209 displaced people.’
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has accused the Israeli army of not providing supporting documentation for its claim that resistance fighters transport combat equipment in ambulances in Lebanon, calling such a claim a ‘mere pretext for Israel’s flagrant violations against the Lebanese relief and ambulance sector.’
In a statement on Sunday, Euro-Med described Israeli attacks on civilian targets, including the war crime of targeting health facilities protected by international humanitarian law, as ‘crimes against humanity’.
‘According to the toll released by the Lebanese Ministry of Health, since the start of Israeli attacks on October 8th, 2023, and up until October 3rd, 2024, Israel has targeted 45 medical centres, 128 ambulances and fire engines. This resulted in the deaths of 97 paramedics and the wounding of 188 others,’ Euro-Med said, stating:
‘Israel also targeted 17 centres and 62 vehicles belonging to the Islamic Health Authority in Lebanon, killing 68 paramedics and wounding 98,’ according to Euro-Med.
‘Furthermore, 18 paramedics were killed and 62 injured when 57 Islamic Message Scout vehicles and 15 medical facilities were targeted.
‘The Lebanese Ambulance Authority also lost seven paramedics when a medical facility and two of its cars were attacked. Three volunteers were injured when the Israeli army attacked three medical facilities run by the International Amel Association and a Lebanese Red Cross vehicle.
‘As for the Lebanese Civil Defence, nine medical centres and six vehicles were targeted. four paramedics were killed, and 25 others were injured during the attacks.”
‘In related Israeli actions, on Thursday, October 3rd, 2024, the Lebanese Civil Defence received an Israeli threat ordering its members not to travel to the targeted areas, namely the southern suburb of Beirut, which had been subjected to the most violent raids since the attacks on Lebanon expanded on September 23, 2024.
‘The threat also stated that they would be targeted if they went near the raid sites in the suburb to aid the victims.
‘This occurred after calls were made to Civil Defence centres across Lebanon on September 26, 2024, requesting the evacuation of centres that were under threat in order to incite panic and disrupt relief efforts.
‘Based on information from the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 1,974 people were killed in Lebanon between October 8th, 2023, and October 3rd, 2024, including 127 children, 261 women, and 97 paramedics, with 9,384 injured.
‘Israeli bombings have damaged over 10 hospitals. The most recent attack occurred at Bint Jbeil Hospital on Friday evening, October 4th, 2024, and UNIFIL ambulance crews were not allowed to enter to rescue casualties.
‘The Israeli army’s actions, along with their targeting of the relief and health sectors, are a clear breach of international humanitarian law, which states unequivocally that medical personnel, both military and civilian, must always be respected and protected,’ Euro-Med underlined.
The organisation’s statement continued: ‘According to Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and Article 85, paragraph 5, of the First Additional Protocol of 1977, intentional attacks against healthcare workers and relief workers are considered war crimes.
‘The attacks in Lebanon bear witness to the Israeli army’s intention to deliberately kill civilians and non-combatants and prevent aid and relief to them, disregarding international law and the urgent priority to always distinguish between civilians and combatants,’ Euro-Med affirmed.
Euro-Med called on the international community to take immediate action to compel Israel to stop its crimes against relief workers in Lebanon and ensure their protection.
‘The international community must stop these illegal attacks, prevent further escalation in the region, impose effective sanctions on Israel, and hold it accountable for its ongoing crimes against civilians and the defenceless.’
Death and destruction follow Palestinians wherever they go. From Gaza to Lebanon, Israel kills both Palestinians and Lebanese, destroying their homes and instilling fear and oppression in their midst. However, resilience is a common trait among the two peoples with a shared fate and a common goal: the freedom of Palestine and the liberation of Al-Aqsa.
As Israel continues to bombard the southern suburb of Beirut, the nearby Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp is also subjected to destruction and shelling, prompting a large portion of its residents to flee to areas they believe are safer. Meanwhile, Israel indiscriminately bombs all areas without mercy.
Issa al-Ghadban, a representative of the popular committee at Burj al-Barajneh camp, said that over 80% of the camp’s residents have been forced to evacuate to northern Lebanon, with some moving to mountainous areas to escape the intensifying bombardment on the southern suburb of Beirut adjacent to the camp.
In press statements, al-Ghadban mentioned that the camp’s geography makes the sound of Israeli airstrikes particularly intense, and on many occasions, shrapnel and debris reach the camp, resulting in damage to some homes.
He noted that those who remain in the camp leave at certain hours and return when they feel a semblance of calm. He pointed out that movement within the camp has become nearly nonexistent due to the large-scale displacement of residents, with most shops closed. Nevertheless, institutions within the camp continue to operate, providing basic services to the remaining residents and some displaced individuals still in need of support.
This comes at a time when the Israeli army continues to escalate its airstrikes on the southern suburb of Beirut, targeting residential blocks amid significant displacement of residents, as the aggression continues since Monday, September 23, unabated resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties and thousands of injuries.
The camp was established in Lebanon in 1948, near the village of Burj al-Barajneh in the southern suburb of Beirut, located two kilometres from Beirut International Airport. It covers an area of one square kilometre and is one of the largest camps in the Beirut area in terms of size and population density, and it suffers the most among Beirut’s camps, with a population of around 25,000.
Palestinian refugee Abu Muhammad al-Masali (45,) from Burj al-Barajneh told a press correspondent that he was forced to flee the camp due to the severe bombardment. He added that he escaped with his children to northern Lebanon in search of safety, emphasising that Palestinians and Lebanese are equally affected by the war waged by Israel on Lebanon.
He affirmed that the Lebanese resistance will teach the occupation a lesson it will not forget, just as the Palestinian resistance has done in the Gaza Strip, indicating that everyone must exercise patience and responsibility.
Masali noted that resilience and determination are characteristics of Palestinians, and this is not the first trial; the history of Palestine and Lebanon is filled with challenges and battles against the Zionist entity.
He explained that his house on the outskirts of Burj al-Barajneh has sustained significant damage due to the ongoing bombardment, as is the case for many homes of camp residents, which are often weak and dilapidated.