Israel’s Attacks on Medics in Lebanon a ‘War Crime’ – Euro-Med Rights Monitor

An Israeli strike targeted an ambulance in Lebanon. (Photo: via social media)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israel’s targeting in Lebanon “follows the same pattern as in the Gaza Strip, raising the possibility that aid trucks may be targeted directly and repeatedly in the future under false pretenses and pretexts.”

Israel’s “clear and continued pattern” of targeting relief and ambulance teams in Lebanon is a serious violation of international law, especially international humanitarian law, the Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has said.

At least 120 medical and relief workers have been killed since the start of Israel’s most recent escalation in attacks on Lebanon, through direct targeting of ambulance and relief crews, according to the rights body.

“With no proof, an Israeli army spokesperson recently justified the targeting of paramedics and their vehicles in various parts of Lebanon by claiming that they were transporting “saboteurs and weapons’,” Euro-Med said in its recent report on Tuesday.

Four Medics Injured

On Sunday morning, Israeli forces targeted a Red Cross relief convoy in the southern town of Sarbin, wounding four medical volunteers, the organization said.

#Lebanon| Israel’s targeting of relief teams, Red Cross crews is a serious violation of int’l humanitarian lawhttps://t.co/dZXzrJdoNC

— Euro-Med Monitor (@EuroMedHR) October 15, 2024

This attack came after the Israeli army targeted a house in Sarbin in an initial airstrike, and then targeted the same site in a second airstrike after the Red Cross convoy arrived to search for the injured, it said.

Two ambulances were damaged in the attack, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.

“This targeting took place even though the Red Cross had previously arranged to visit the site alongside UNIFIL”, the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, Euro-Med emphasized.

Aid Trucks Targeted

On Monday, Israeli forces also targeted two aid trucks, which were passing through the Ras Baalbek area, the rights group noted.

“The trucks were flying Red Cross flags after receiving UN approval to deliver aid,” it said, citing official Lebanese sources.

Following the airstrike on a house in Sirbine in South Lebanon on Sunday 13th of October at 8am, Lebanese Red Cross ambulance teams were dispatched to the scene in coordination with UNIFIL.

As the team was searching for casualties to rescue, the house was hit for a second time… pic.twitter.com/ufxJL8sGYQ

— Lebanese Red Cross (@RedCrossLebanon) October 13, 2024

The bombing smashed the windows of the trucks and injured one of the drivers, the organization said.

Israel’s targeting in Lebanon “follows the same pattern as in the Gaza Strip, raising the possibility that aid trucks may be targeted directly and repeatedly in the future under false pretenses and pretexts,” Euro-Med stressed.

Rome Statute

According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the rights body stated, “attacking medical facilities and transportation vehicles that use the distinctive emblems listed in the Geneva Conventions, in accordance with international law—including emblems belonging to the Red Cross—as well as attacking personnel, facilities, materials, units, or vehicles used in a humanitarian assistance mission, constitutes war crimes under the Rome Statute.”

عندما تُستهدف الطواقم الطبية، يُحرم عدد لا يُحصى من الأرواح من المساعدة.
الطواقم الطبية تُنقذ الحياة، ولا علاقة لها بالقتال؛ لا بد أن تمر دون عوائق. pic.twitter.com/tDvA7uzaoO

— اللجنة الدولية (@ICRC_ar) October 15, 2024

Euro-Med also highlighted that Article 35 of the First Geneva Convention and Article 21 of the Fourth Geneva Convention “both mandate the protection of medical transports.”

Article 21 of Additional Protocol I broadened the scope of this obligation to include civilian medical transports in addition to military medical transports under all conditions, the organization said, adding that it was supported by Rule 29 of customary international humanitarian law, which mandates that medical transports that are only used for medical transport must always be respected and safeguarded.

‘End Israel’s Crimes’

The international community “must therefore fulfill its obligations to uphold and implement both international humanitarian and human rights law,” Euro-Med said.

“It must put an end to Israel’s serious crimes against unarmed civilians in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, including its deliberate targeting of ambulances and relief teams that transport and evacuate the wounded, and ensure the freedom of passage of all medical and humanitarian missions.

“Targeting civilians and impeding the delivery of aid and relief to them indicates the intention to purposefully kill people not involved in fighting and military operations,” the rights body stated.

Since 17 September, @WHO has verified 🏥 23 attacks on health care in #Lebanon.

72 health staff were killed and 43 were injured.

WHO calls for attacks on health care to stop ✋🏼 https://t.co/InFIYwu0k4

— WHO Lebanon (@WHOLebanon) October 15, 2024

Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, on October 7, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has engaged directly, but relatively in a limited way in the war against the Israeli occupation.

In recent weeks, however, the intensity of the fighting has increased, leading to concerns that an all-out war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army is imminent.

Israel has occupied parts of Lebanon for decades and has only left the country in 2000, following stiff Lebanese resistance under Hezbollah’s leadership.

Israel attempted to re-occupy Lebanon in 2006 but failed in what Lebanon considers a major victory against Israel.

Israel, however, continues to occupy parts of Lebanon, namely the Sheeba Farms region.

Hezbollah has vowed to recover every inch of Lebanon that has been occupied by Israel contrary to international law.

(The Palestine Chronicle)