A missile strike destroyed a health center in Borj Qalaouiya, southern Lebanon, on Friday, killing 12 medical workers, including the father of a nurse who had briefly considered walking to the facility to deliver supplies. The attack is part of an escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, triggered by the U.S. And Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 and Hezbollah’s subsequent retaliation.
Ali Jishi, a 35-year-old nurse, recounted watching the Israeli missile strike the building, recalling that he would have been inside had he not paused his journey. “Ten minutes earlier, or 10 seconds later, and I would have been there. It would have got me too,” Jishi said, describing the scene two days after the attack as a “blown-out husk” filled with debris, including pamphlets, pills, and computer parts.
The Israeli military stated the incident is under review, but a day after the strike, its Arabic-language spokesman accused Hezbollah of using ambulances for military purposes. This accusation echoes similar claims made during previous conflicts, and comes as Israel has begun a ground operation, announced Monday by Defense Minister Israel Katz, to eliminate threats and protect residents of northern Israel.
The attacks on healthcare facilities in Lebanon are increasing. Since March 2, the World Health Organization reported 27 attacks on healthcare sites, resulting in 30 deaths and 35 injuries. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported additional attacks on Monday, raising the toll to 38 dead and 69 wounded, along with dozens of ambulances and vehicles destroyed and 13 health centers bombed.
At the Borj Qalaouiya center, doctors, paramedics, and nurses were among those killed, including Jishi’s father, a medic with the civil defense service. Jishi described a frantic, futile attempt to find survivors, stating, “The first martyr we found by the orange car. Four were where that guy is standing. The doctor — God have mercy on him, the mattress is still there — he was sleeping. My father was in the corridor.” He personally recovered his father’s body, describing the experience as “awful” but necessary.
Abdullah Nour Al-Din, head of the regional civil defense unit of the Islamic Health Commission, questioned the purpose of the attack. “Why hit the [health] center? What is the purpose of this?” he asked, suggesting the strikes are intended to intimidate medical teams and disrupt services. The center, he explained, served 20 villages in the area, offering a range of medical services including a pharmacy, X-ray, and dental clinics.
According to Nour Al-Din, the staff had just finished their evening meal, breaking their daily fast for Ramadan, when the attack occurred. He stated they received no warning, adding, “If we did, we would have left. We know Israel doesn’t commit to international conventions regarding protection of medical workers.”
Hezbollah official Hajj Salman Harb reported that Israeli bombardment has destroyed 750 housing units and partially damaged 17,000 others. He characterized the attacks as an attempt to compensate for failures in the war.
Jonathan Whittall, a former senior U.N. Official now with the KEYS initiative, drew parallels to the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza, where health infrastructure was systematically targeted. He warned that Israel is laying the “groundwork” to dismantle the means of survival in Lebanon, including pressuring health facilities and critical civilian infrastructure.
Jishi denied any military employ of the facility, stating, “Move appear at our vehicles, there’s nothing there. And from the day the center was built till now, not a bullet entered. This was a purely medical facility,” pointing to books from a public library and cultural center that were scattered by the blast. “The Israelis don’t need an excuse to hit us,” he added, “And when they want to justify it, they find a million reasons.”
Displaced from his village at the start of the conflict, Jishi is currently unable to join his family near Beirut, as landlords are unwilling to house anyone perceived as a risk due to his connection to the area. He remains in Borj Qalaouiya, focused on extinguishing lingering fires at the destroyed health center, stating, “It’s not the time for sadness. After the war I’ll be sad.”
