Eyewitnesses recount three deadly Israeli strikes on medics in southern Lebanon

Israeli Airstrikes on Lebanese Ambulances Kill Four Paramedics, Highlighting Attacks on Health Workers

In the southern Lebanese village of Mayfadoun, what began as a medical rescue mission turned into tragedy when Israeli forces launched three consecutive strikes on ambulance teams, killing four paramedics and wounding six others.

The incident unfolded Wednesday morning when two ambulances from the Islamic Health Committee and Risala Scout Association responded to reports that Israel had attacked two other ambulances in the area. When the rescue teams arrived, they discovered a devastating scene: destroyed vehicles with shattered windows and flat tires, and six of eight crew members covered in blood.

“I felt sick. I couldn’t believe my eyes,” recalled Mohammed Jaber, 43, a paramedic who arrived with the third team. As the rescuers loaded the most critically injured into their working ambulances, team leader Mahdi Abu Zaid ran to close the doors. Moments later, they too came under attack.

An Israeli drone shattered the windows of the rescue vehicles and struck 30-year-old Abu Zaid, throwing him to the ground. Abu Zaid, a father of a 4-year-old who volunteered as a paramedic while selling spices and nuts in civilian life, was later declared dead on arrival at al-Najda Hospital.

The sequence of events was captured on a GoPro camera strapped to one of the paramedics, showing a barrage of fire hitting the ambulance while medical workers were administering first aid to injured colleagues. Only after the third strike did a fourth medical team finally manage to evacuate the wounded without being targeted.

The Israeli military, when questioned about the Mayfadoun strikes, stated they were “aware of reports about the ambulance attacks” and that “the incident is under review.” Unlike previous statements, they did not repeat accusations that Hezbollah uses health facilities for militant activities—claims consistently denied by both Hezbollah and Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

The United Nations’ human rights office condemned the attacks, warning that intentionally targeting medical personnel constitutes a war crime. The incident highlights Israel’s broader campaign against Lebanon’s health infrastructure as its military works to establish a security zone extending to the Litani River, about 20 miles into Lebanese territory.

“They should be targeting fighters, where the fighting is happening, at the border,” Jaber said. “Why target medics and civilians? So that life becomes unbearable and people tell Hezbollah to give up?”

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least 100 medical workers have been killed since Israel launched its bombing campaign and ground invasion in Lebanon. The offensive began in retaliation for Hezbollah firing missiles across the border on March 2, which followed Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iran.

“This war is different than all the other wars,” said Mohammed Suleiman, chief paramedic for Nabatiyeh Emergency Services. His own 16-year-old son, Joud, who had been helping on missions since childhood, was killed alongside another paramedic in an Israeli strike on their motorcycle on March 24.

“I always had my fears, but I believed that as a neutral organization with no connection to politics, we would be safe, off-limits,” Suleiman added.

The World Health Organization reports that 59 primary healthcare centers have been shuttered due to Israeli attacks. This includes the main Islamic Health Committee clinic in the village of Jibsheet, which was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike last month.

Additionally, the UN health agency denounced Israeli strikes that twice hit Lebanon’s Tebnine Government Hospital within three days, wounding 11 medical workers and damaging the emergency department, pharmacy, and critical equipment like ventilators and monitors.

The attacks on healthcare facilities reflect Israel’s broader strategy targeting Hezbollah’s extensive civilian infrastructure. Beyond its armed wing, Hezbollah functions as a powerful political party in Lebanon with a network of civilian institutions including hospitals and schools.

With the ceasefire now in effect, Nabatiyeh’s medics returned to Mayfadoun to recover their damaged ambulances. They placed Abu Zeid’s mangled vehicle in a public square in Nabatiyeh as a stark reminder of the war’s impact on healthcare workers.

“We want this vehicle to bear witness,” said Mahdi Sadeq, a coordinator for the emergency service. “To bear witness to what happened, to what this war has done to our profession.”