Lebanon prepares for 'worst-case health scenario' as medical supplies are flown in amid Israel war fears

Lebanon is stocking up on emergency medical supplies to prepare for "war injuries" as the country braces for the possible outbreak of full-scale war with Israel.

A 32-tonne shipment of emergency medical supplies was delivered to the country by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday with another shipment expected on Wednesday.

While skirmishes between Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and Israel have so far been largely confined to Lebanon's southern border, recent developments - such as Israel's assassination of Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr, and Hamas' political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh, last week - have seen both Hezbollah and Iran vow revenge.

This has stoked fears that a wider regional war could erupt depending on Tehran's response, and the reaction of Israel and the US in turn.

"It's impossible for anyone to anticipate the scale of the [possible] attacks, so we're trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario, and raise ourselves to the utmost readiness. While we hope of course a full-scale war doesn't happen, and that we reach a ceasefire, our duty in the health sector is to take these pre-emptive measures and steps," said Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister edition.

Abiad said most of the supplies and medicines Beirut received were needed during times of conflict pointing out that Lebanon had been in a state of war for ten months with almost daily bombing of the country's south by Israel.

He said the country had identified the sectors and regions most at risk from Israeli attacks, which were mainly the south and some areas of the Beqaa region.

Emergency plans had been drawn up for all the hospitals, he added, fearing a destruction on the scale witnessed in Gaza where nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in ten months of Israeli bombing.

"We are up against the same enemy that has committed massacres and a genocidal war in Gaza, which has not spared even the hospitals, therefore we must expect anything from it, as it doesn't respect international laws or agreements, and it won't respect them in Lebanon," he said.

Daily skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israel on Lebanon's southern border have been active since 8 October as the Lebanese Shia group engages in cross-border attacks on Israeli military bases and installations in solidarity with Palestinians under attack in Gaza.

This has resulted in over 500 fatalities on the Lebanese side, as well as thousands injured and over 100,000 temporarily displaced.

An attack in the Druze-majority town of Majdal Sham in northern Israel, which Hezbollah denies responsibility for, killed 12 children and again increased tensions.

This article is based on an article which appeared in our Arabic edition by Rita El Jammal on 6 August 2024. To read the original article click here.