The World Health Organisation (WHO) has condemned fresh attacks on health workers in southern Lebanon that left several medics dead and injured.
The Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said nine paramedics were killed in five separate incidents, while seven others were injured in the line of duty.
In a post on X on Saturday, he said the latest attacks have raised the number of health workers killed in Lebanon in March to 51, making it the second deadliest month for medical personnel since WHO began tracking such incidents in October 2023.
He added that more than 120 health workers have been wounded since the escalation of violence on 2 March, with most cases recorded in southern Lebanon.
Ghebreyesus said emergency medical teams were struck while responding to incidents across several villages.
In Zoutar al-Sharqiya, five health workers were killed and two injured, one critically.
He warned that the repeated attacks are severely disrupting healthcare delivery, forcing the closure of four hospitals and 51 primary healthcare centres, while others continue to operate under strain.
He stressed that health workers are protected under international humanitarian law and must never be targeted, calling for an immediate end to the attacks.
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