Health workers in Lebanon were killed by Israel, says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed this Thursday (3) that at least 28 doctors on duty were killed in Lebanon due to Israel’s military actions in the southern region of the country. The information was given by the director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom.

“Many health professionals are not reporting for duty and have fled the areas where they work due to the bombings,” said the director in an online press conference, asking for more protection for these professionals.

“This is severely limiting the provision of mass trauma management and the continuity of health services,” he said.

The region has been the target of revenge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right coalition that supports him in power. Since the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, when 1,200 Israelis were murdered, Netanyahu has served the orthodox and supremacist group of the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) by bombing several countries in the region, leaving a trail of blood and destruction across the Middle East. .

After liquidating the entire civilian structure of the Gaza Strip and leaving more than 40,000 dead and 100,000 injured, Netanyahu now begins to focus his military power on Lebanon, where the Shiite group Hezbollah operates, belonging to the so-called Axis of Resistance (proxies of Iran ).

Since October 7, the Israeli army and the Shiite group have exchanged attacks on the border. In recent weeks, however, the conflict has escalated. Nearly 2,000 people have been killed, including 127 children, and 9,384 injured since Israeli attacks on Lebanon began last year, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

Planned for this Friday, the health agency said it will not be able to deliver a planned large shipment of medical and trauma supplies to the country due to flight restrictions, he added.

The WHO representative in Lebanon, doctor Abdinasir Abubakar, informed, at the press conference, that all the health professionals who died were on duty, helping with the injured.

“The hospitals have already been emptied. I think what I can say for now is that the mass casualty management capability exists, but it is only a matter of time before the system truly reaches its limit,” Abubakar said.

In a parallel statement, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad also reported that 40 ambulance and fire crew workers were killed in the last three days in Lebanon.