The Israel-Lebanon conflict has entered a critical phase in 2024, intensifying beyond conventional warfare boundaries. Following Netanyahu's declaration to push Hezbollah beyond the Litani River, Israel has expanded its operations from southern Lebanon to Beirut's suburbs and the Bekaa Valley. Recent strikes near Lebanon's only international airport and the documented 121 airstrikes and shelling incidents in a single day across southern Lebanon, Baalbek-Hermel, and Nabatiyeh provinces mark an unprecedented escalation in civilian infrastructure targeting.
Players and their Response
Israel's military campaign has resulted in significant losses, with 890 military casualties, 11,000 wounded, and economic costs exceeding $67 billion. Iran has emerged as a central actor, establishing sophisticated military and strategic cooperation through joint operations centres in Iraq and Lebanon. This network demonstrates Iran's successful creation of an integrated proxy system, where non-state actors serve as effective extensions of state power. Hezbollah, following Nasrallah's assassination, maintains defensive operations while coordinating with Iran's broader network. The Houthis' transformation from a local insurgency to a 350,000-strong military force, executing 134 documented maritime attacks, exemplifies Iran's successful proxy strategy. The Gaza conflict has effectively strengthened these relationships, creating a more resilient and coordinated opposition to traditional power structures in the region. Recent escalation has resulted in 52 deaths and 161 wounded, bringing total casualties to 3,102 killed and 13,819 wounded, with one-quarter being civilians.
Health Atrocities and Crimes Against Humanity
UN experts have classified the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure as "domicide", a deliberate strategy constituting crimes against humanity. The scale of destruction includes eight hospitals completely destroyed, 178 medical workers killed, 306 injured, and 244 medical vehicles lost. Oxfam's "Water War Crimes" report documents the deliberate weaponization of water, with 70% of sewage infrastructure destroyed and water production capacity reduced by 84%. This targeting mirrors historical warfare tactics condemned under international law, particularly the use of disease spread through water contamination. Nearly a quarter of southern Lebanon has been damaged, with over 6,000 structures affected, displacing 1.2 million people, including 400,000 children. Currently, 190,740 people are crowded into 1,145 centres, with 981 shelters at full capacity.
The conflict reveals critical shifts in contemporary warfare dynamics. Iran's coordinated deployment of regional proxies demonstrates a sophisticated evolution in multi-front warfare, while the systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure represents a strategic shift from military engagement to population displacement. The synchronized operations among Iran-backed groups indicate a transformation from reactive to proactive strategy, challenging traditional deterrence concepts. The international community's current response mechanisms appear inadequate to address these violations of international humanitarian law.
Looking Forward
The deliberate targeting of medical infrastructure and weaponization of disease through water contamination represents a dangerous evolution in modern warfare tactics. This systematic approach to healthcare destruction, reminiscent of historical warfare strategies like Napoleon's use of contaminated water, sets a concerning precedent for future conflicts. The international community faces the urgent challenge of addressing both immediate humanitarian needs and developing new frameworks to prevent the weaponization of medical and water infrastructure. The current pattern of targeting hospitals, killing medical workers, and destroying health facilities suggests a calculated strategy rather than collateral damage. Without immediate intervention to protect medical facilities and establish secure healthcare corridors, this crisis risks normalizing medical infrastructure as a legitimate military target. The response to these documented violations of international humanitarian law will likely determine future protocols for protecting healthcare systems in conflict zones and preventing the use of disease and medical deprivation as weapons of war.