Israeli strike kills three medical workers in Adaisseh, south Lebanon

Three medical workers were killed, and two others were wounded by an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah-affiliated medical centre in the town of Adaisseh, south Lebanon, on Monday.

Three paramedics – 54-year-old Hussein Ibrahim, 62-year-old Ali Souaidane and 31-year-old Abbas Hojeir – were killed by the blast, which also damaged nearby ambulances.

At least seven healthcare workers have been killed and ten wounded by Israeli strikes since clashes between Hezbollah and Israel began in the wake of the Hamas-led 7 October surprise attack.

Two weeks prior, on 22 February, two paramedics were killed in the town of Blida, southern Lebanon, in an Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah-affiliated medical centre.

Israel said that the strike had targeted a Hezbollah "military compound" in Blida.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health condemned the targeting of the medical facility in Adaisseh "in the strongest terms."

"These unacceptable attacks violate international laws and norms, especially the Geneva Convention, which stresses the necessity of health centres and health workers being neutral so that they can carry out their humanitarian duties," the Ministry said on Monday night.

The strike on the medical centre comes after weeks of escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, with the latter striking deeper than ever in Lebanon.

At least 47 civilians in Lebanon have been killed by Israel since 7 October, with 17 of those civilians being killed since 15 February.

Western and Arab diplomats have been attempting to mediate between Hezbollah and Israel in an attempt to prevent a full-scale war between the two, but with little to show for their efforts thus far.

Israel has demanded the withdrawal of Hezbollah's forces from beyond the Litani River, some 30 kilometres north of the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Hezbollah, for its part, said that it would not engage in negotiations until a ceasefire in Gaza is achieved.