Israeli army threatens to attack ambulances in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army has threatened to target ambulances in southern Lebanon, accusing them of allegedly "transporting" Hezbollah fighters and weapons.

Avichay Adraee, the Arabic spokesman for the Israeli military, made the threats in a statement on Thursday, warning south Lebanon's residents against returning to their homes.

"You must refrain from moving south and returning to your homes or to your olive fields in the areas you have evacuated because they are dangerous combat zones," he said.

"Hezbollah has used ambulances to transport members and weapons, so we warn against the continuation of this phenomenon, and we call on medical teams to avoid dealing with Hezbollah and not cooperate with them," he added.

Adraee warned that the Israeli army "will take the necessary measures against any vehicle transporting armed men, regardless of its type."

Israel previously made threats against ambulances and medical centres in Lebanon, without providing any evidence. Hezbollah repeatedly denies using any civilian infrastructure for its operations.

Dozens of paramedics and other health workers have been killed in the Israeli strikes in Lebanon, many of them from the privately run Islamic Health Authority.

On numerous occasions, Israel had warned them against approaching the sites of attacks to recover bodies or help transport the wounded.

Earlier this week, Adraee, who has become infamous in Lebanon for his evacuation orders, claimed Hezbollah was using a hospital south of Beirut to stash gold and money.

The statement caused mass panic in the city as people feared Sahel General Hospital could be bombed in the same manner as hospitals in Gaza.

The hospital's chief denied the claims but said he was forced to evacuate staff and patients for their safety. Foreign and local journalists were invited to tour the hospital as well as surrounding buildings to refute the Israeli claims.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that Washington had not seen any evidence supporting Israel’s claims about the hospital sitting atop Hezbollah bunkers.

"We’ll continue to collaborate with our Israeli counterparts to gain better fidelity on exactly what they’re looking at," Austin said, as quoted by the New York Times.

The US is a staunch supporter of Israel and has continued to supply it with weapons despite Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon since October last year.

But Washington has said it wishes to see a ceasefire in both conflicts but refuses to suspend arms transfer and aid to Israel.

More than 42,000 people have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023, most of them women and children. The enclave has largely been flattened, and Israel has currently cut off the northern part of the territory from its south.

In response to the offensive, Hezbollah started what it called a "support front" for the Palestinians in Gaza, trading fire with Israel since 8 October 2023. The violence has killed over 2,500 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians.

The cross-border hostilities have spiralled into a full-blown war with intense Israeli strikes in south Lebanon, the eastern Beqaa region, and Beirut’s southern suburbs, as well as a limited ground invasion of southern Lebanon.