Casualties Mount in Lebanon as Israeli Strikes Kill 12 Paramedics, Total Deaths Reach 773
Health workers deliberately targeted despite international law protections, Lebanese ministry says, as wider conflict enters third week
BEIRUT — March 14, 2026 — At least 12 paramedics were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a medical center in southern Lebanon on Friday, the Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed, as the total death toll from the escalating conflict since March 2 climbed to 773, including more than 100 children .
The strike hit an Islamic Health Authority medical center and clinic in Bourj Qalawayh, with rescue operations continuing to search for missing persons beneath the rubble, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency . The Health Ministry condemned the attack as a violation of international humanitarian law, stating that the targeting of medical personnel occurred despite repeated demands to halt such strikes .
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“This is the initial toll as rescue operations continue to search for missing persons,” the ministry said in a statement, suggesting the death toll could rise as emergency teams work through the debris . One additional paramedic was injured in the attack.
The Bourj Qalawayh strike followed another attack on Friday evening in the town of Al-Sawwanah, where an Israeli raid targeted a joint point of the Islamic Health Authority and the Islamic Message Scouts associations. That strike killed two paramedics—one from each organisation—and wounded five others .
The Lebanese Health Ministry reiterated its condemnation of what it described as “the direct targeting of paramedics despite all demands to stop this dangerous violation of international humanitarian law, which clearly stipulates the provision of protection for health workers” .
In a statement, the ministry posed a pointed question: “Is the goal the comprehensive shedding of blood and the elimination of any opportunity to treat and rescue the wounded?” .
Mounting Toll on Healthcare Workers
The attacks on Friday bring the total number of medical personnel killed since the conflict escalated on March 2 to at least 27, according to figures compiled from Lebanese authorities and health organisations.
The Islamic Health Authority’s Civil Defense directorate revealed on March 10 that 15 of its paramedics had been martyred and more than 30 wounded since the resumption of hostilities . In a statement published by the Lebanese National News Agency, the authority said that its “centers, vehicles, and teams… have been subjected to a series of direct attacks” .
Earlier in the conflict, Health Minister Dr. Rakan Nassereddine documented the killing of three paramedics at a regional center, three in Kfartabnit due to an ambulance being targeted, and three in Nabi Sheet while performing their duties . Six paramedics were injured in Sidqin, two in Jibshit, and four in Kherbet Selm during rescue operations, bringing the health sector casualties at that time to nine fatalities and 16 injuries .
The March 10 attack on Hanouiyeh in the Tyre district killed one paramedic and injured two others, according to the National News Agency . Another paramedic died the same day in Kfartabnit after an airstrike hit the town .
Health facilities have also sustained significant damage. Four hospitals were partially damaged due to shelling, including Bahman Hospital, Jabal Amel Hospital, and Al-Najda Al-Shaabiya Hospital, where targeting around the hospital caused structural damage . A health center in Hawik was destroyed, and several other health centers suffered partial damage .
The World Health Organisation has documented 25 attacks on health facilities in Lebanon since the conflict began, warning that health systems across the Middle East are under “immense strain” and on the verge of collapse .
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Overall Casualties Pass 773
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health announced Friday that the total number of fatalities since March 2 has reached 773, with 1,933 people injured . The ministry noted a particular rise in child casualties, with 103 children killed and 326 wounded .
The crisis has affected approximately 1.3 million people across Lebanon, with up to one million displaced within the country and nearly 100,000 others who have crossed into Syria, according to Imran Riza, the UN’s deputy special coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon .
Social Affairs Minister Haneen Al-Sayed said that children account for nearly half of those affected, while women and girls make up more than half of the impacted population . The announcement was made during a press conference attended by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who announced a $325 million emergency humanitarian appeal for Lebanon .
Guterres urged stronger international solidarity with Lebanon as the country grapples with the rapidly worsening humanitarian situation .
Escalating Conflict and Regional Context
The current escalation began on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets from Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire was declared on November 27, 2024 . The move prompted the Lebanese government to ban the group’s security and military activities, limiting it to political work and requiring it to hand over its weapons .
The Israeli military responded by launching what it described as an “offensive military campaign” against Hezbollah, carrying out heavy airstrikes across multiple Lebanese areas and conducting ground incursions near the border . Israel warned residents to evacuate areas south of the Litani River and Beirut’s southern suburbs .
The broader conflict intensified after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, which Iranian officials report killed more than 1,300 people, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . Iran has since retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets .
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus expressed alarm over the catastrophic humanitarian toll, revealing that over 1,800 people have been killed and 12,500 injured in Iran since the offensive began . The displacement crisis is equally dire, with over 100,000 Iranians and up to 700,000 Lebanese citizens forced to flee their homes .
Tedros warned that many displaced people are now living in deteriorating conditions with limited access to clean water and sanitation, raising fears of massive disease outbreaks among women and children . He called on all parties to respect international law and protect civilians, stressing that attacks on healthcare “not only claim lives but also deprive communities of critical care when they need it most” .
International Law and Humanitarian Concerns
The targeting of medical personnel has drawn condemnation from human rights organisations and the United Nations. The Islamic Health Authority emphasised that the attacks constitute “a blatant violation of all international conventions, foremost among them the Geneva Conventions, which clearly stipulate the protection of medical and humanitarian personnel during conflicts” .
The authority called upon the international community and humanitarian organisations to “assume their legal and moral responsibilities to stop the targeting of the health and ambulance sector in Lebanon and to ensure the necessary protection for humanitarian workers” .
In a statement saluting its fallen paramedics, the authority said: “The Civil Defense – Islamic Health Authority will remain present in the field alongside the people, fulfilling its humanitarian mission with utmost sincerity and dedication, in loyalty to the blood of the martyrs and in service to humanity wherever it may be” .
The Lebanese Health Ministry similarly praised the courage of health workers “and their humanitarian and health commitment, which drives them at every moment to face the risk of death and attack, heedless of making the most precious sacrifices in order to fulfill the mission” .
Current Situation
As of March 14, Israeli airstrikes continue across multiple areas of Lebanon, with rescue operations ongoing at the Bourj Qalawayh medical center where 12 paramedics were killed . The Health Ministry has warned that casualty figures could continue to rise as military operations persist .
The United Nations has launched a $325 million emergency appeal to address the growing humanitarian crisis, with Guterres calling for immediate de-escalation and unimpeded humanitarian access . More than one million people have been displaced across Lebanon, and the health system is struggling to cope with the influx of wounded while simultaneously losing medical personnel to targeted strikes .
The targeting of healthcare workers and facilities has emerged as a defining and deeply concerning feature of the conflict, with Lebanese authorities and international organisations warning that such attacks violate fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and jeopardise the survival of thousands of wounded civilians.
Verification Note
Casualty figures from Lebanese authorities could not be independently verified by WNS
SOURCES / INPUTS
Yeni Şafak: Israeli strike kills 12 paramedics at Lebanon medical center, ministry says
Xinhua: Lebanon says death toll from Israeli attacks hits 773 since March 2, including 103 children
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