Israeli strike kills 12 Lebanon medics amid peace push

A SITE in the Haret Hreik, a neighbourhood in southern Beirut which was struck by Israel.—AFP

• Death toll for paramedics this month rises to 31 after clinic bombing • France offers to host negotiations in Paris; urges Israel to halt its offensive • First direct talks since conflict expected in coming days, Haaretz reports BEIRUT: An overnight Israeli strike on a healthcare centre in Borj Qalaouiya killed at least 12 Lebanese medical personnel, Lebanon’s state news agency said on Saturday, as diplomatic efforts intensified amid reports Israel and Lebanon may hold their first direct talks to de-escalate the war. The health ministry said the death toll was preliminary, with rescue operations underway to search for those still missing under the rubble and the Israeli attack killed doctors, paramedics, and nurses working at the facility. This strike brings the total number of paramedics killed in Lebanon since the start of hostilities to 31, a grim statistic highlighted by the ministry as it accused Israel of repeatedly “targeting ambulance crews while they were performing rescue duties.” The targeted building was an Islamic Health Committee facility, an organisation affiliated with Hezbollah. In a statement, the committee said such attacks would not deter it from “performing our humanitarian duty”. The Israeli military claimed its strike on Friday hit Hezbollah operatives “who were bringing rockets into a weapons depot” in Majdel, a town approximately seven kilometres from Borj Qalaouiya. The military also accused Hezbollah of using ambulances for military purposes, a charge Lebanon’s health ministry has vehemently denied. Amid the escalating violence, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday that the Lebanese government was ready to engage in “direct talks” with Israel and offered Paris as a venue for negotiations. “Everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos,” Macron said in a post on X.

He called on Israel to stop its offensive and for Hezbollah to halt its actions. “Fr­­ance is ready to facilitate these talks by hosting them in Paris,” he said, adding that he had spoken to Lebanon’s leaders. The call for dialogue comes as the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that direct talks are expected in the coming days, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter. The negotiations would reportedly focus on ending the fighting and disarming Hezbollah. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will be involved in the talks that may be held in Paris or in Cyp­rus, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s confidant Ron Dermer leading the Israeli delegation, Haaretz said. The current conflict flared last week when Hezbollah launched retaliatory attacks against Israel following the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli strike. Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, said on Friday that the resistance gr­­­­oup was prepared for a long confrontation. The Lebanese health ministry reported Saturday that Israeli strikes have killed 826 people in Lebanon, including 65 women and 106 children, since the fighting began. Another 2,009 people have been wounded. Israel’s bombardment continued on Saturday across Lebanon. An Israeli strike hit an apartment building in Nabaa-Burj Hammoud, a densely populated northern suburb of Beirut, for the second consecutive day. The health ministry said the attack killed one person and wounded four others. The area, home to a large Armenian-Lebanese community, was spared during the 2024 conflict. Strikes also hit the southern coastal city of Sidon, with state media reporting an apartment in a residential building was targeted in the Haret Saida area, causing a fire. During a solidarity visit to Beirut, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to the war and launched a $325 million humanitarian appeal to support the hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese. “There is no military solution, only diplomacy,” Guterres said on Saturday, adding that diplomatic channels remain open to achieve “an immediate de-escalation and the cessation of hostilities”. Tensions also rose along the southern border, where the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is deployed. A UNIFIL spokesperson, Kandice Ardiel, confirmed that one of its positions near Mais al-Jabal was hit Friday, “likely by heavy machine gun fire”, wounding one peacekeeper. An investigation has been launched into the source of the gunfire. Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2026