WHO Warns of Health System Collapse in Lebanon Amid Israeli airstrikes, Echoing Gaza Crisis

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarm over the deteriorating health care situation in Lebanon as Israeli airstrikes continue to hit hospitals and medical workers. In the past two weeks, over 50 paramedics have been killed in Lebanon, with WHO warning that the country’s health infrastructure is on the brink of collapse—paralleling the devastation seen in Gaza.

In southern Lebanon, medical facilities are under attack, with airstrikes landing near hospitals and forcing evacuations. Shoshan Mazraani, the emergency room director of Marjayoun public hospital, described the chaos as staff had to stop operations after a blast shook the hospital. The ongoing strikes have led to shortages in medical supplies, and WHO representatives on the ground report that health services may soon be unable to cope with the mass casualties.

The WHO has drawn comparisons between the situation in Lebanon and the ongoing destruction of Gaza’s health infrastructure, where Israel’s blockade and airstrikes have left millions vulnerable to disease, hunger, and winter conditions. As in Gaza, where the WHO and other international agencies struggle to deliver aid, Lebanon’s health workers face immense challenges in providing care amid war and bombardment.