Over 100 medics and emergency workers killed in Lebanon conflict, UN rights office says
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Smoke rises over Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold that Israel has been pounding.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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GENEVA – The UN human rights office said on Oct 11 over 100 medics and emergency workers have been killed in Lebanon since a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began a year ago.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah has been in conflict with Israel since Israel tore across the Gaza Strip with the intention of obliterating Hezbollah’s ally, Hamas.
Israel’s onslaught in Gaza was precipitated by a rampage by Hamas militants on Oct 7, 2023,
Israel has over the past year reduced much of Gaza into rubble, and some 42,000 Palestinians have been killed by its military actions in the enclave.
That war in Gaza has now spread to Lebanon, where Hezbollah is trying to push back a ground invasion by the Israeli military.
“In all, over 100 medical and emergency workers have been killed across Lebanon since October (2023),” the UN human rights offices’ spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said at a news briefing, citing figures she said were compiled by the UN humanitarian office.
“We’ve had several reports also of air strikes targeting other medical centres and of paramedics, as well as firefighters being killed,” she said.
Mr Christian Lindmeier, the World Health Organisation’s spokesman, said since Sept 17, there have been 18 attacks on health facilities in Lebanon, killing 72 health workers.
Israel says it targets military capabilities in Lebanon and Gaza and takes steps to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians. It accuses Hezbollah, like Hamas, of hiding among civilians, which they deny. REUTERS
