Minister of Public Health Dr. Rakan Nasser El Din held a press conference during which he presented the sharp acceleration in the pace of Israeli strikes, which over the past twelve hours particularly targeted rescue sectors, in addition to a dual assault on the media and rescue bodies, as the targeting of journalists in Jezzine was followed by a second direct strike on the rescue team that rushed to rescue them. During the conference, Minister Dr. Nasser El Din displayed pictures showing damaged health facilities to refute the claims of the Israeli enemy. The Minister of Public Health pointed out that the enemy accuses others of what it does itself, claiming that paramedics are carrying out military acts, while what happened in Al-Nabi Sheet revealed that this enemy hides behind camouflaged and forged ambulances. The conference was attended by representatives of health sector syndicates and all rescue associations operating in rescue missions under the weight of the aggression. By Names Minister Nasser El Din began the conference by reading out the names of the eight paramedic martyrs who were martyred in the last few hours: Ali Hassan Jouha, Hassan Nour El Din, Adel Atef Qadouh, Hussein Ali Darwish, Ibrahim Zaher Abou Zeid, Ahmad Abdullah Aneissa (belonging to the Islamic Risala Scouts Association), Ali Hassan Al-Shami, Mohammad Nayef Zohour, and Mohammad Hassan Tfeili (belonging to the Islamic Health Authority Association). He read out the names of the journalist martyrs: Ali Shoeib, Fatema Ftouni, and Mohammad Ftouni. He said: "We insisted today to read out the names of the martyrs because they are not mere numbers; rather, they are martyrs who offered themselves and whose souls ascended on the altar of the nation as a result of a heinous Israeli aggression targeting civilian sectors in a blatant and explicit violation of all international norms and laws, and of all agreements concluded by countries that claim humanity." Details of the Strikes Minister Nasser El Din presented the details of the strikes and the context in which they took place today at an escalating pace, demonstrating the pattern and methodology adopted by the Israeli enemy in targeting health sectors. This is as follows: Ø 12:15 midnight, Kfar Tebnit town (Nabatieh district, Nabatieh governorate): A direct strike on two ambulances belonging to the Islamic Health Authority Association while carrying out a rescue mission, leading to the martyrdom of two people and the injury of three others. Ø 1:00 AM, Al-Ghandouriyeh town (Bint Jbeil district, Nabatieh governorate): A direct strike on the rescue center affiliated with the Islamic Health Authority, leading to the martyrdom of a paramedic. Ø 9:30 AM: Zawtar El Gharbiyeh town (Nabatieh district, Nabatieh governorate): While a number of paramedics from the Islamic Risala Scouts Association were carrying out a humanitarian mission in the town, a drone targeted them directly, leading to 5 martyrs and 2 wounded, one of them in critical condition. Ø 11:00 AM: Kfar Dajjal town (Nabatieh district, Nabatieh governorate): A direct drone strike on an ambulance belonging to the Islamic Health Authority Association while paramedics were transporting a martyr resulting from a nearby airstrike, leading to 2 injuries. Ø 11:45 AM: Jezzine town (Jezzine district, South governorate): While a paramedic belonging to the Islamic Health Authority Association was carrying out a rescue operation for the martyred journalists whose car was targeted in Jezzine, an Israeli drone launched another airstrike on the paramedics while they were performing their work, leading to the martyrdom of paramedic Ahmad Abdullah Aneissa in addition to a civilian martyr. Assaults on Health Workers and the Medical Sector Then Minister Nasser El Din summarized the attacks on the medical sector, stressing the need to bow before the immense sacrifices of the martyrs of this sector and their blood, and offering condolences to the rescue teams and the Lebanese health sector in his name, the name of the ministry, and the name of the Lebanese state. He said that so far there are 51 martyrs who crowned the skies of this nation with their souls. He announced that the number of attacks on the health sector has so far reached 75, including 5 attacks today. They are as follows: · Number of hospitals subjected to attack so far: 9 · Number of closed hospitals: 5 · Number of targeted rescue centers: 18 · Number of damaged ambulances and vehicles: 48 (3 new ambulances destroyed) · Number of health sector martyrs: 51 martyrs (including 46 paramedics and 5 health workers) (including 9 new paramedic martyrs today) · Number of health sector wounded: 126 wounded (including 114 paramedics and 12 health workers) (including 7 new wounded paramedics today) Assaults on Associations and Hospitals The Minister of Public Health also presented successively the names of the associations and hospitals that were targeted by attacks, as follows: · The rescue associations and bodies targeted so far, each of which has martyrs on the altar of the nation before whom one must bow: 1. Lebanese Red Cross 2. General Directorate of Lebanese Civil Defense 3. Islamic Risala Scouts Association 4. Islamic Health Authority Association 5. Nabatieh Ambulance Association 6. Popular Ambulance Corps · Hospitals targeted so far: 1. martyr Salah Ghandour Hospital 2. Bint Jbeil Governmental Hospital 3. Tebnine Governmental Hospital 4. martyr Sheikh Ragheb Harb Hospital 5. Al-Najda Al-Chaabiya Hospital 6. State President Nabih Berri Governmental Hospital – Nabatieh 7. Bahman Hospital 8. Hasbaya Governmental Hospital 9. Jabal Amel Hospital · Hospitals forcibly closed as a result of security threats and repeated attacks: 1. Meis El Jabal Governmental Hospital 2. Bint Jbeil Governmental Hospital 3. Bahman Hospital 4. Al-Sahel Hospital 5. Al-Burj Hospital On the Legal Aspect: Minister Nasser El Din continued, stressing that the targeting of the health sector (hospitals, cadres, ambulances) is internationally classified among war crimes and crimes against humanity. He said that international humanitarian law (the 1949 Geneva Conventions), the First Geneva Convention, the Second Geneva Convention, and the Fourth Geneva Convention all stipulate the protection of civilian persons in time of war (including medical personnel and civilian hospitals). Furthermore, the Additional Protocols (1977) expanded the scope of protection to include medical units and both civilian and military medical transport, and the Hague Convention (1954) provides protection for civilian sites, including medical facilities. He displayed pictures of health facilities and asked: Where are the rockets inside them? Is this a military helmet and a multiple rocket launcher and an armored personnel carrier? Or an armored vehicle or a tank? He added that this is a primary healthcare center and not a military barracks, and this is a firefighting and rescue vehicle and nothing else. He said: The Israeli enemy claims that these vehicles are used for military and combat purposes. The invitation is open to everyone to inspect who and what is being targeted in the health sector. He added that health workers and paramedics are heroes moving in civilian ambulances under a right affirmed by international law, emphasizing complete confidence in the Lebanese health sector comprising hospitals, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and administrators in the South and all of Lebanon. He added that the best kind of response to this targeting is their steadfastness and the steadfastness of the health sector, which is the pride of Lebanese industry. He affirmed the ministry's commitment to standing with them and defending their rights by highlighting these rights, and refusing to allow the blood of these paramedics—the overwhelming majority of whom are volunteers—to be wasted. He pointed out that the Israeli enemy accuses others of what it does itself, claiming that paramedics are carrying out military acts, while what happened in Al-Nabi Sheet revealed that this enemy hides behind camouflaged and forged ambulances. He affirmed that the ministry will prepare a complete legal file to submit to the Council of Ministers in preparation for filing a complaint with the Security Council and revealing the truth, noting that the Israeli enemy has historically never committed to implementing international humanitarian law. As for us in Lebanon, we are committed to serving all our Lebanese people, for health knows no politics; rather, it knows patriotism, humanity, and a moral sense.