Two Lebanese Red Cross volunteers were killed in recent attacks: Youssef Assaf, who was killed during a rescue operation on March 9, and Hassan Badawi, killed in a drone strike on April 12.
According to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 169 confirmed attacks on health workers and facilities in Lebanon, resulting in 116 deaths.
Lebanese authorities say more than 3,000 people have been killed since hostilities escalated in March, and violence continues despite the ceasefire. Hezbollah fighters based in Lebanon began bombing Israeli communities shortly after the Israeli-American bombing of Iran began; Exchanges of fire continue today, with media reports indicating that 21 Israeli soldiers have been killed since March 2.
PakGazette spoke with Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR; Tommaso Della Longa, spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC); and Ali Saad of the Lebanese Red Cross. They all agree on one thing: that first responders should never be objective.
Aid workers caught in the crossfire
From a human rights perspective, deliberately attacking medical personnel constitutes a war crime. According to Mr. Al-Kheetan of OHCHR, the international community must do more to ensure the protection of health workers in all conflicts.
The office “has documented cases in which Israeli forces launched attacks that involved direct attacks against civilians, including medical personnel,” it maintained, emphasizing that such attacks are unprecedented, pointing to similar patterns previously documented in Gaza and other conflicts around the world.
A residential neighborhood in Beirut, Lebanon, shows signs of missile attacks. (archive)
A ‘shocking’ vision
Describing a recent visit to Lebanon, the International Federation’s Mr Della Longa recalled the shocking sight of Red Cross volunteers donning bulletproof vests and helmets before setting out to save lives.
“What surprised me most,” he said, “was seeing Lebanon lose people committed to humanity and service to others.”
Della Longa explained that the details and location of Youssef Assaf and Hassan Badawi’s mission had been shared with the warring parties. They were also traveling in ambulances clearly marked with the Red Cross insignia when they were killed.
‘It’s not just numbers’
“Behind every paramedic or volunteer killed there is a family; they are not just numbers,” he said. “Hassan had a pregnant wife and a son waiting for him at home.”
For Della Longa, “hitting an ambulance and killing an aid worker means weakening entire communities.”
He renewed the call for the international community to respect and protect civilians, humanitarian workers and medical transports in accordance with international law.
Rescuers deal with the aftermath of a missile attack on a Beirut neighborhood. (archive)
Deconfliction fails on the ground
To help protect rescue teams, the Lebanese Red Cross works with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), sharing coordinates and ensuring that all belligerents are informed of the paramedics’ whereabouts. This vital work is known as deconfliction, explained Mr. Saad, liaison coordinator with the Lebanese Red Cross.
But even with all these measures in place, rescuers are still the target.
“That’s why Red Cross volunteers hug and say goodbye before each mission,” he explained.
The murder of Youssef Assaf and Hassan Badawi still haunts their fellow volunteers, who have had no explanation as to why they were attacked. These attacks – and the murder of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil on April 22 – are evidence of a “double tap” trend that is increasing, Saad insisted.
Killed carrying a stretcher
Hassan Badawi was killed in an attack while getting out of an ambulance with a stretcher during a rescue mission in southern Lebanon, Saad said, “a drone attacked him directly leaving 300 shrapnel fragments in his body.”
Given UNIFIL’s key role in conflict reduction, its imminent drawdown and withdrawal from Lebanon next year is unthinkable, the Red Cross worker says: “I don’t know who will support us, but UNIFIL really was an international witness to what is happening. They may not have stopped the war or provided a security umbrella, but they were the only true witness to this situation.”
Meanwhile, the 5,000 Red Cross volunteers will continue on mission and risk their lives. They can access areas located on the so-called “yellow line” – a prohibited zone within southern Lebanon created by the Israeli army last month – but they cannot enter areas of the battlefield near the border, not even to collect bodies.
“They are not soldiers, their only weapon is a blindfold and helping people,” which should be reason enough to protect them, Saad insists.
