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Lebanese Civil Defence members have accused Israel of "deliberately targeting" them, as the number of deaths among rescuers rises and attacks on emergency centres increase, severely hindering first-responder operations.
On Sunday evening, at least 10 firefighters were killed in an Israeli air strike on a municipal building in Baraachit, a town in the south about 10km from the Israeli border, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.
The building was severely damaged in the attack that led to the deaths of firefighters who were “preparing to embark on their rescue missions”, a ministry statement read.
“The ambulance? The firefighters? Of course, it’s deliberate targeting. They have the Civil Defence logo, the car is red and it bears the symbols of Civil Defence, just like any others across the world," said Hussein Faqih, the head of Nabatieh station at the General Directorate of the Lebanese Civil Defence.
Despite the clear identification markings, he said an Israeli drone in September fired directly at a Lebanese Civil Defence vehicle in Froun, southern Lebanon, killing at least three firefighters and injuring several.
Since Israel escalated its war against Hezbollah with an extensive air assault in Lebanon two weeks ago, the number of first responders killed or injured in air strikes has risen sharply.
Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad last week said more than 40 paramedics and firefighters had been killed by Israeli strikes in only three days. Israel has repeatedly claimed it is going after only Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
The Baraachit centre is run by the Islamic Health Committee, a Hezbollah-affiliated group that is part of Lebanon's co-ordinated emergency response. Paramedics, regardless of political affiliation, are protected under international humanitarian law.
Firefighters at the Lebanese Civil Defence emergency service told The National they had been subjected to “deliberate Israeli attacks”.
After Israel escalated its attacks, Mr Faqih said there had been at least two more separate Israeli strikes against the Lebanese Civil Defence, injuring a dozen firefighters and inflicting significant damage on fire stations.
One missile landed a couple of metres before the Civil Defence headquarters in Kfar Sir. “The damage is significant and we haven't had time to make repairs – only to set up makeshift tents," Mr Faqih stressed. "But the station is still operating."
In Dweiri, another village in south Lebanon, a separate strike hit 100m from a team on a rescue mission, injuring four firefighters.
Several firefighters told The National they have often been shot at as a warning to prevent them from carrying on with their work. They said moving around in the south is now extremely dangerous and they cannot operate as they used to due to the constant Israeli shelling, which is hindering their crucial operations.
Mr Faqih stated that they had been forced to move stations in Taybeh, Markaba and Meiss el Jabal further away because of the security situation, and have refused to follow Israeli orders to vacate emergency staff. “I only take order from my the Directorate, especially that now our work is even more important in times of war,” he said.
