Israeli air strikes force three hospitals in southern Lebanon to close

Three hospitals in southern Lebanon on Friday announced the suspension of their services due to intensified Israeli air strikes.

Marjayoun Governmental Hospital in the south closed its doors on Friday after its staff was evacuated, according to its director. This came after an Israeli airstrike targeted the hospital’s main entrance, killing four paramedics, according to the National News Agency.

Dr. Mounes Kalakesh, the hospital’s director, stated that the airstrike targeted ambulances at the hospital's main entrance, causing panic among the medical staff and employees. He added, "We had been providing medical services to the area since the war began, but with the shortage of staff, today’s bombing hastened the closure of the hospital."

According to Kalakesh, the hospital had been operating "for four days without an anesthesiologist or lab specialists due to the displacement of people."

The National News Agency reported that the hospital staff had been evacuated and operations ceased. With repeated strikes on paramedics in various areas, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced a series of diplomatic contacts to "pressure the Israeli enemy to allow rescue and relief teams to reach the sites of airstrikes and to facilitate the transport of victims and the wounded." Mikati condemned "the Israeli enemy's violations of international laws and humanitarian norms."