The Israeli military has repeatedly claimed that Hezbollah uses ambulances for military purposes in Lebanon, but an investigation by Haaretz found the Israel Defense Forces cannot provide evidence to support these assertions.
The investigation, conducted by reporters Yarden Michaeli and Jack Khoury, examined the basis for IDF statements that have been used to justify operations affecting medical infrastructure in Lebanon. When pressed for proof, military officials cited a two-year-old social media post based on what the IDF described as "assessments" rather than documented evidence.
Under international humanitarian law, medical personnel and vehicles are afforded special protection during armed conflict. The Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits attacks on ambulances unless they are being used to commit acts harmful to the enemy—and even then, only after proper warning. False or unsubstantiated claims about ambulance misuse carry significant implications, as they can be used to justify strikes that would otherwise constitute war crimes.
This isn't the first time questions have been raised about evidence standards in Israeli military operations. Throughout the decades-long conflict, claims about militant use of civilian infrastructure—schools, hospitals, ambulances—have often preceded controversial strikes. The difference here is that Haaretz, an Israeli publication with access to military and government sources, is publicly questioning the evidentiary foundation.
The timing is notable. As Israeli operations in Lebanon have intensified, international humanitarian organizations have documented increasing incidents involving medical facilities and personnel. The International Committee of the Red Cross has repeatedly called for the protection of medical missions in the conflict zone, noting that attacks on healthcare infrastructure have devastating effects on civilian populations who have no alternative access to emergency care.
