Hospitals: Israeli Gaza tactics resurface in Lebanon

A deadly airstrike near Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut has reignited fierce debate over Israel’s wartime tactics, with critics warning that attacks on healthcare facilities are becoming an entrenched feature of regional conflict.

At least five people were killed and dozens wounded when the Israel Defense Forces bombed a densely populated neighbourhood near the hospital during the Easter weekend escalation of fighting in Lebanon. Medical workers and rights groups say the strike fits a pattern that has already defined Israel’s operations in Gaza.

A Hospital Strike That Echoes Gaza

Healthcare workers say the attack reflects a broader strategy: weakening medical infrastructure while civilians face mass displacement.

Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted a recent ceasefire between Iran and the United States does not apply to Lebanon, signalling that operations there will continue.

For medical staff on the ground, the result is familiar. Hospitals that once served as safe zones are increasingly treated as potential targets.

Healthcare Systems Under Siege

Humanitarian groups report that attacks on medical infrastructure are becoming alarmingly frequent across the region.

According to Save the Children, healthcare facilities in the wider Middle East face an attack roughly every six hours. The World Health Organization says more than 90 incidents targeting healthcare have been reported in Lebanon since early March, leaving over 130 people injured and more than 50 dead.

The deeper damage may be psychological. Patients increasingly fear hospitals themselves are unsafe.

A Precedent Set in Gaza

The pattern first drew global scrutiny during Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

Reports from journalists and humanitarian groups described hospital evacuations under military orders and medical staff operating under constant threat. In one widely reported case, babies were later found dead after an emergency hospital evacuation.

Doctors working in the conflict describe relentless pressure: marathon shifts in overwhelmed wards while airstrikes close in around them.

Israel’s Justification — and the Dispute

The Israeli military argues that militant groups such as Hezbollah exploit hospitals and medical facilities for operational purposes.

Critics say evidence for those claims remains limited and warn the justification risks normalising attacks on healthcare infrastructure.

The stakes stretch far beyond Lebanon. If hospitals become accepted targets, humanitarian workers warn, a fundamental rule of war — that the wounded can seek treatment without fear — may be collapsing.

Israel got away with targeting healthcare in Gaza. It’s no surprise it is doing it in Lebanon too