Lebanese Health Ministry condemns Israeli occupation forces for burning a government hospital in the south
Beirut, September 18 (KUNA) -- The Lebanese Ministry of Health strongly condemned on Friday the Israeli occupation forces’ arson attack on the state-run Mis al-Jabal Hospital in southern Lebanon. In a statement, the ministry described the burning of the government hospital in the town as a “systematic criminal act,” noting that it had previously ensured the hospital’s renovation and rehabilitation after the first war on Lebanon in 2024 and equipped it with the latest medical devices.
The ministry asserted that the occupation forces’ decision to burn the hospital aims to deprive “the people of the South” of their right to healthcare, particularly after the forces had previously stationed themselves there and converted it into a military barracks. It emphasized that such actions constitute a “complete war crime and a blatant violation of international conventions.”
The ministry called on the international community, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to immediately break their silence and hold the occupation forces accountable for their repeated crimes against Lebanon’s health sector.
In a separate security development, the Lebanese Army command clarified in a statement issued by the Directorate of Guidance that, as part of missions carried out by military units within the town of Deir Mimas in the Marjayoun district, an army patrol established a new temporary checkpoint at the outskirts of the town on September 10, in coordination with the Special Military Coordination Group for Lebanon, to accompany residents while they inspected their agricultural lands.
The statement added that a force belonging to the Israeli occupation forces approached the newly established checkpoint today and threw sound grenades in the vicinity, prompting the Lebanese Army to reinforce the position and leading to heightened alertness on both sides. It noted that, following communications conducted through the military coordination group, the occupation force withdrew from the area, after which Lebanese Army elements returned to their main base in the town, with continued monitoring and coordination.
The southern border areas of Lebanon continue to witness repeated attacks and violations by Israeli occupation forces, ranging from targeting vital and civilian infrastructure to clashes with the Lebanese Army’s field units, exacerbating tensions and undermining stability efforts. (End) F.Z. / M.A. H.A.
