More than 2,100 people have been killed and 7,000 others wounded since the start of the war in Lebanon on 2 March, according to the country’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The number includes at least 260 women and 172 children.
The ministry says 91 health professionals have been killed and 208 other wounded in the war, with more than 120 Israeli attacks recorded on ambulances and medical facilities.
The Islamic Health Association is an emergency service linked to Hezbollah. The Risala Scout Association is affiliated with the Amal Movement, a Shia Muslim group.
Israel has frequently accused Hezbollah of using ambulances and medical facilities for military purposes, without providing evidence. Lebanon’s health minister has denied the claims.
In a statement, the health ministry said Wednesday’s attacks were a “flagrant crime”. “Paramedics have become direct targets, pursued relentlessly in a blatant violation that confirms a total disregard for all norms and principles established by international humanitarian law,” it said.
In a report last month, Kristine Beckerle, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at the human rights group Amnesty International, said: “Under international humanitarian law, civilians, including healthcare workers, do not lose their protected status simply based on an affiliation.”
Beckerle also said that “deliberately striking medics performing their humanitarian functions is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and could constitute a war crime.”
Hezbollah attacks have killed two civilians in Israel over the same period, while 13 Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat in Lebanon, Israeli authorities say.
Additional reporting by Neha Sharma and Angie Mrad