IDF: Hezbollah Using Ambulances for Cover in Lebanon
According to the military, the operatives were part of a broader pattern in which Hezbollah uses medical vehicles and uniforms to move weapons and personnel across the country in preparation for attacks on Israeli forces and civilians.
The IDF said it carried out a strike over the weekend against a Hezbollah cell in southern Lebanon that was operating under the cover of an ambulance while posing as paramedics.
According to the military, the operatives were part of a broader pattern in which Hezbollah uses medical vehicles and uniforms to move weapons and personnel across the country in preparation for attacks on Israeli forces and civilians.
The IDF said such activity violates international law, which grants protected status to medical teams only when they are engaged strictly in humanitarian work.
“Medical teams are afforded special protection provided they do not engage in hostile acts,” the military said, accusing Hezbollah of exploiting that protection for military purposes.
In a separate statement, the IDF said Hezbollah has repeatedly used medical infrastructure to conceal terrorist activity, including transporting weapons in ambulances and operating command centers from within medical facilities.
The military also alleged that Hezbollah has used ambulances to move operatives within combat zones, actions it said deliberately endanger civilians and undermine protections granted to humanitarian services.
Israeli officials say the group’s broader strategy includes embedding military operations within civilian environments, including schools, religious sites, and residential areas.
The allegations come as fighting continues in southern Lebanon, with Israeli forces conducting ground operations alongside airstrikes targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.