The Lebanese Ministry of Health counted, on Friday, the death of 163 people working in the health and ambulance sectors, as a result of Israeli raids, during a year of escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, stressing that this amounts to a "war crime."

Health Minister Firas Abiad said during a press conference in Beirut, during which he presented the results of the "Israeli attacks" on the health sector in Lebanon, that "the total number of martyrs in the health and hospital sector so far has reached 163 martyrs and 272 wounded."

He reported that Israeli attacks targeted 55 hospitals, 36 of which were "directly targeted," resulting in "the forced closure of eight hospitals."

According to Al-Abyad, the Ministry of Health documented that Israel targeted 158 ambulances, 57 fire engines, and 15 rescue vehicles.

According to Al-Abyad, the bodies of six firefighters are still under the rubble since Israel targeted one of their headquarters in the town of Barashit in southern Lebanon earlier this month, in addition to the bodies of eight paramedics inside three ambulances that Israel targeted two weeks ago near the border town of Adaisseh.

He continued: "The Israeli enemy still refuses to allow us to retrieve the bodies of the martyrs."

Al-Abyad said: "We consider the attacks on the health and hospital sector to be direct and intentional attacks. This is a war crime," denouncing the Israeli allegations.

Death of journalists

The Lebanese Minister of Health announced today that "11 journalists were killed and 8 others were injured" as a result of the raids launched by the Israeli army on the country since October 2023.

Al-Abyad held a press conference in the capital Beirut, during which he presented details of the damage to the health sector in Lebanon, including workers and facilities, in addition to the victims of the Israeli aggression among journalists.

The Lebanese Minister of Health said: "We have recorded 55 Israeli attacks on hospitals in the country, including 36 direct attacks."

Regarding the victims of the media sector, Lebanon recorded the killing of 11 and the injury of 8 journalists since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the country in October 2023, according to Al-Abyad.

Earlier on Friday, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Health announced that an Israeli raid on the residence of journalists in the town of Hasbaya resulted in "the death of three and the injury of three others," all of whom were journalists.

The war in Lebanon has killed at least 1,580 people since September 23, according to data from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.