More strikes impact Lebanon hospitals as humanitarian situation deteriorates

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The humanitarian situation in Lebanon is being pushed further into crisis as hostilities continue between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants – and essential services and healthcare are targeted.

A reported strike near Hiram Hospital in the region around Tyre injured 10 staff members and caused structural damage – the fifth incident affecting the facility since 2 March, according to local authorities.

“We remain deeply concerned by the continued impact of hostilities on healthcare and people’s access to essential services,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday.

Across Lebanon, 17 hospitals have been damaged during the escalation which began in March, including all three hospitals in Tyre. 

In addition, 135 healthcare workers and first responders have been killed, and nearly 400 others injured, according to reports from the World Health Organization (WHO).

At the same time, humanitarian partners continue to support affected families across the country. Since the escalation began, more than 182,000 people have received essential relief items.

Intense fire

On Thursday, the UN peacekeeping mission in charge of monitoring the line of separation between Israel and southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, reported “intensive air activities”, involving fighter aircraft and various unmanned aerial systems. 

This included 72 violations of Lebanese airspace and a total of eight airstrikes by Israeli fighter aircraft in UNIFIL’s area of operations.

Mr. Dujarric told reporters in New York on Friday that peacekeepers also reported seeing 531 “trajectories” recorded on Thursday: Some 526 originated from Israeli positions south of the Blue Line and within UNIFIL’s area of operations, and there were five strikes presumably launched by Hezbollah, with one crossing the line of separation.

Repairing roads and bridges

Despite the significant escalation of violence over the past three months, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, remains deployed across all positions in south Lebanon and continues to carry out its mandated tasks.

In recent weeks, the peacekeepers have been working in close coordination with the national army and local authorities to restore access, repairing roads and bridges within their area of operations, according to a UNIFIL statement.

These tasks are essential – ensuring peacekeepers’ own mobility and opening humanitarian access in the area marked by daily exchanges of fire, ground combat, air strikes, demolitions and displacement.

Several roads have been repaired and roadblocks cleared in the areas of Shama, Ramyah, Marwahin, Ayta as-Sha’b, Marjayoun, Kfar Kila and Houla.

Meanwhile, in locations where large craters or threats made repairs impossible, peacekeepers built bypass routes to restore access.

The Mission’s Chinese peacekeepers repaired a vital bridge near Al Bayyadah, which was severely damaged during the hostilities.