Israeli Attacks in Lebanon Claim Lives of Six Medics, Escalating Conflict
The escalating conflict between Israel and Lebanon saw a tragic new chapter unfold on Thursday, with at least six Lebanese health workers killed in Israeli airstrikes, pushing the total number of medics killed since the beginning of the offensive to 178, Al Jazeera reports.
Israeli forces bombarded areas surrounding the ancient city of Baalbek for a second consecutive day, targeting a gathering point for civil defense workers, killing four medics and wounding four others, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health. Two more medics were killed in separate incidents. The ministry condemned the attacks as “brutality,” calling for an end to the “machine of brutality” that continues to target frontline personnel.
The Ministry of Health also reported that an ambulance was destroyed in the town of Salaa, miraculously sparing the paramedic operating it.
In retaliation, Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, launched rocket attacks targeting Israel. One attack on Metula, northern Israel, killed five people including an Israeli farmer and four foreign workers, according to Israeli media. A separate rocket attack on Haifa resulted in the deaths of two people, according to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services.
Hezbollah also reported launching several rocket and artillery attacks against Israeli forces near the southern town of Khiam, marking the fourth consecutive day of fighting in and around the strategic hilltop town.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon on October 1, prompting the Israeli government to issue forced evacuation orders for the area. Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned these orders as a “war crime,” calling for intensified pressure on Israel to end the deadly aggression. He met with US Ambassador Lisa Johnson and Egyptian envoy Alaa Moussa to discuss ceasefire possibilities.
The United States is actively seeking to broker a ceasefire for both Lebanon and the besieged Gaza Strip. US envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk met with Israeli officials, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressing that any ceasefire deal with Hezbollah must prioritize Israeli security.
According to Israeli media reports, the proposed ceasefire plan would see Hezbollah forces retreat around 30 kilometers from the border, north of the Litani River. Israeli forces would then withdraw from Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese army, alongside UN peacekeepers, to take control of the border. Lebanon would be responsible for preventing Hezbollah from rearming itself.
