Israel appears to have adopted its Gaza playbook in Lebanon. Its bombing of Lebanon has matched the frequency of its historically destructive airstrikes in Gaza. Last Monday (Sep 23), Israel dramatically escalated its war in Lebanon, claiming to have hit more than 1,600 targets that day alone. By Wednesday, nearly 600 civilians were killed by Israeli bombardment, including 50 children and 94 women. By Friday, Israel had killed more than 700 civilians, injured several thousand, and displaced 120,000. Like in Gaza, the daily death toll in Lebanon is higher than in any recent war.

Israel killed at least 50 healthcare workers in Lebanon in the last two weeks alone. Yesterday, Israel bombed a medical center in central Beirut, killing at least nine. Since September 23, Israel has attacked healthcare workers and infrastructure in Lebanon 14 times, according to my analysis of World Health Organization data. Since October 7, there have been over 30 attacks such attacks (I discuss one of them here). Hospitals are closing down across southern Lebanon, including in Marjayoun, Mais al-Jabal, and Bint Jbeil. Healthcare is virtually non-existent south of the Litani River.