By Mohammed Ragawi
BEIRUT (AA) – The International Lebanese Medical Association issued on Saturday an urgent appeal to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN to put an end to Israeli forces' "massacre" of Lebanon's health care system.
On Friday, the official Lebanese news agency confirmed that the Marjayoun Governmental Hospital, Mays al-Jabal Governmental Hospital, and Salah Ghandoor Hospital were no longer operational following Israeli attacks and threats of further attacks.
The association urged the WHO and the UN to intervene and allow medical teams to evacuate patients and medical personnel from the Salah Ghandoor hospital, emphasizing the necessity of protecting health care workers and facilities.
“The ongoing crime against the medical sector and emergency teams has reached a level of audacity in violating UN charters and human rights, particularly regarding the right to medical care and hospitalization for all individuals,” it stated.
The organization highlighted that Israeli actions contradict the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, calling for “effective intervention to stop these criminal practices against the wounded, medical staff, and the healthcare sector.”
Earlier on Thursday, Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad revealed that Israeli airstrikes had killed 97 medical and emergency personnel since Sept. 23, causing damage to more than 10 hospitals.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,800 people, most of them women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.
At least 2,011 people have since been killed, over 9,500 injured, and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.
The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi