Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Two Lebanese Red Cross volunteers, Youssef Assaf and Hassan Badawi, died during rescue operations in Lebanon, on 9 March and 12 April respectively, as violence persists despite a ceasefire, according to a UN report.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 169 attacks on healthcare workers and facilities in Lebanon, with 116 fatalities, amid ongoing hostilities since March that authorities say have claimed over 3,000 lives.
The conflict escalated after Hezbollah shelled Israeli communities following Israeli-US bombings of Iran, with exchanges of fire ongoing. Media reports indicate 21 Israeli soldier deaths since early March.
Representatives from the UN human rights office (OHCHR), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Lebanese Red Cross highlight that targeting first responders and medical personnel violates international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime. They call for greater protection of these workers in conflict zones.
The ambulances used by the Lebanese Red Cross were clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem, and the parties involved in the conflict had been informed of their mission details, emphasizing the deliberate nature of these incidents.
Tommaso Della Longa of IFRC stressed the profound loss behind every death, the impact on families and communities, and urged the international community to respect and safeguard humanitarian workers and civilians.