Massacre of 12 healthcare workers in Burj Qalaouiyah, South Labanon

On March 13, 2026, Israeli army strikes the Health Authority clinic in Burj Qalaouiyah, southern Lebanon, causing the building of this primary healthcare center to catch fire and collapse on medical staff inside.

The force of the strike in Burj Qalawiya flung two paramedics into the street, killing them instantly, according to Ali Shim, a rescue worker who was at the site within three minutes: “We found a third body at the entrance. And the rest were inside,”.

The health centre in Burj Qalawiya served six villages and was one of the few operating in an area where state civil defence centres are rare. In wartime, its paramedics, many of them volunteers, rescue the injured and retrieve bodies from the rubble.

Since the attack, the centre's paramedics have been sleeping in parked ambulances, he said.

In a statement, the ministry said it “mourns the health care workers of Burj Qalaway killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the city’s primary health care center.” It added that 12 doctors, paramedics and nurses on duty at the facility were killed and another health worker was wounded, while rescue operations were still underway.

Names of the martyrs:

Broader context:

The World Health Organization said the deaths marked a serious escalation in the regional crisis. Human rights organizations noted that attacks on medical personnel can constitute war crimes under international law, regardless of political affiliation.

Lebanese authorities said Israel had carried out at least 37 attacks on healthcare workers and facilities in Lebanon since the conflict began on March 2, after Hezbollah rocket attacks triggered an Israeli military campaign and subsequent escalation. By then, more than 800 people had reportedly been killed in Lebanon and around one million displaced.

Israel claimed Hezbollah was using ambulances and medical facilities for military purposes but did not provide public evidence. Lebanese officials rejected the accusation, calling it a justification for attacks on healthcare infrastructure. Humanitarian groups warned that such claims could be used to legitimize further strikes on protected medical facilities.