Four paramedics were killed, one of whom who was recorded as a militant, and six paramedics injured in a series of alleged Israeli double-tap airstrikes and/or drone strikes (called quadruple-tap attack by some media outlets) on the southern village of Mefdon (Mayfadoun) in Lebanon starting from 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 15 April 2026. Three ambulances were destroyed, rendering them inoperable as a result of the strikes.

The injuries and fatalities recorded in this incident reflect those resulting from all four reported strikes. The series of strikes on paramedics began after a first group of emergency responders deployed to Mefdon, responding to a strike in which one civilian was reportedly killed, and two injured. As such, the minimum number of civilians reportedly killed in this incident is four (three paramedics, one unaffiliated civilian), and eight injured (six paramedics, two unknown). This will be updated should additional information become available.

Three paramedics, 30-year-old Dr. Medhi Abu Zaid, Saeed Haribi and Ali Shadi Sabra were all reported killed. A fourth paramedic, 43-year-old Fadl (Fadel) Sarhan, was also killed but his death has been recorded among the militant fatalities, for reasons outlined below. According to a report by Legal Agenda, Fadl Ali Sarhan was from the Islamic Message Association, Mehdi Abu Zaid was from the Nabatieh Ambulance Association, and Saeed Hussein Haribi and Ali Al-Hadi Shadi Sabra were from the Islamic Health Authority.

The six injured paramedics remain unidentified, except of Gabriel (Gabi) Zalghout, a paramedic for Islamic Health Authority.

Following the strikes, most of the wounded medics remained in moderate condition except for one medic in serious condition after being hit in the chest by shrapnel, the Islamic Health Committee told Associated Press.

Remembering Ali Shadi Sabra

Ali Shadi Sabra, originally from Mefdoun, was commemorated for “fulfilling his mission, remaining a witness to humanity met with bombardment.” @Nirine Kebbe Baghdadi considered his work sacrosanct, writing that Ali had “held life in his hands.” His father stated that he had “sacrificed his life and devoted his time to helping people, treating the wounded, and providing essential medical and humanitarian aid to those in need.” His father hoped to continue Ali’s humanitarian work “to the very end, continuing to assist our brothers and our people.” Ali’s grandfather, @Hassan Itani, was stoic in his announcement of Ali’s death, sharing a photograph of him in glasses and a beige cap, writing only “My grandson Ali Al-Hadi Shadi Sabra was martyred this afternoon.”

Source “Sector Six – Media Platform” included photographs of Ali’s funeral. In it, a poster of Ali, superimposed against a Hezbollah background, is seen. No source alleged that Ali had militant ties; it is thus likely the imagery stems from Ali’s paramedic work for an organisation affiliated with the militant group.

Remembering Saeed Haribi

Saeed Haribi was from Zawtar al-Gharbiya. Saeed’s brother Ali was a Hezbollah member, and a photo shared by Marvin Amin shows Saeed holding a Hezbollah commemorative poster of Ali, but Saeed himself was not identified as a Hezbollah militant. Abu Medhi wrote that in death, Saeed “met with the mujahideen brothers”. Still, the post did not include specific allegations of militancy. The use of ‘mujahideen’ in references to emergency response providers is not uncommon in Lebanon, with sources often referring to emegency responders as “performing [a] national and humanitarian duty in defence of Lebanon and the South.” As such, Saeed’s death has been recorded among the civilian fatalities. This will be updated should additional information become available.

Remembering Mehdi Abu Zeid

Medhi Abu Zeid’s wife, Doaa Daher, wrote of her husband’s death in a message shared to the Facebook page “Nabatieh site”: “This isn’t what we agreed on. We were going to come back and start over, and you were going to be my support for the rest of my life, my love. But didn’t you tell me we’d never leave each other? How could you leave me?” She would love him “until death and until the end of the world”; “come back to me and take my whole life,” she wrote, “just come back to me.” An image of the couple was attached to the post – Doaa wears a red hijab and smiles, Medhi’s arms around her.

Fifteen days after his death, Doaa wrote of his absence: “They say out of sight, out of mind, but you were and always will be in my heart.”

A later post saw Doaa recount two recent tragedies in her life, occurring with the loss of her father in April 2023 and the loss of her husband three years later: “O April, how cruel you are! In you I lost my father, and in you my husband ascended to martyrdom… What heart can bear two orphans in one month?”

@Farah Wehbe, Medhi’s cousin, emphasised that he was “more than just a name.” He was “a vibrant life, a father to his family, and a man full of dreams he could have lived in safety.” Despite the increasing danger of Lebanon’s southern regions, he “decided to stay in the South, where the pain was greatest, and where the need for him was greatest. He never hesitated; he was always there to treat the wounded, stand by the people, and give them hope in their darkest moments.” Photographs shared include two of Medhi and his young son, Hamoudi.

Medhi had worked for the Nabatieh Ambulance Service. The Service considered him to be “one of our finest young men” and asked that “God Almighty […] accept him into the highest ranks of Paradise […] and to make his pure blood a guiding light for us to continue on the noble path of humanitarian giving.” He had attempted to help his colleagues while wounded, source @Safaa Shmysani wrote, before he succumbed to his injuries.

Remembering Fadel Sarhan

Fadel Sarhan, affiliated with the Mefdoun branch of the Islamic Message Scouts Association, was pictured in multiple images carrying weaponry and wearing camouflage, though one of these images appears to be synthetic. He was also affiliated with the Amal Movement that remembered him as a “Commander.” Though it is not understood that Fadel was directly participating in hostilities and was performing a humanitarian mission at the time of his death, the posts have caused Airwars to record his death among the militant fatalities. This will be updated should additional information become available.

He was the father of a seven-year-old daughter, and originally from Kafr Tibnut and living in Shoukin. He was lauded for “performing his humanitarian duty of providing first aid to the injured in the Mefdoun caves,” a service, source “Our love, Lebanon” wrote, that would seem him “ascended to heaven.” He had worked for the Mefdoun branch of the Islamic Message Scouts Association. @Amin Medhi commemorated his dedication, and professional camaraderie, writing that he “gave his life for his comrades.” His team had been shadowed by the BBC earlier in the month, reporting on the tent the paramedics were operating in “after their own station in Mayfadoun was destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the first days of the war.” @ysnzeinab wrote that Fadl had lived his life for others. “He never knew rest or relaxation. He was there for others, without expecting anything in return. He never asked for payment. He was a generous, noble, and courageous man.” It was this sense of generosity, @ysnzeinab wrote, that let him “[pass] away without a trace of reproach.”

Ali Nasr al-Deen, the head of the Mayfadoun civil defence centre who grew up with Sarhan, spoke to Guardian about his deceased friend: “Fadel was a very loved person. He had a bold personality, but at the same time, he was emotional. He was well liked and responsible. He used to feed the cats and dogs. He would bring pet food from Beirut so they wouldn’t go hungry. He was that kind of person, caring and attentive. It’s a huge loss for us,” said Nasr al-Deen.

Reporting on the strikes

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health’s Emergency Operations Centre reported that the Israeli military “targeted ambulance teams […] three times in succession.” A first strike was reportedly committed on a Health Authority ambulance that was attending to the wounded. When a second ambulance was dispatched in service of the first, the Israeli military deployed a second airstrike. A third rescue attempt saw two ambulances, from the Al-Risala Association and the Nabatieh Ambulance Service, also be struck.

The Nabatieh Ambulance Service recorded the ambulances struck “in order,” listing first the Islamic Health Authority, followed by the Islamic Message Scouts, Nabatieh Ambulance, and finally the Lebanese Civil Defence.” All of them were reportedly damaged and out of service.

The first and second strikes – strike on Islamic Health Authority ambulance

The details of the strikes were further recounted in a video shared to the Facebook page “Al Nabatiyah Site”: “The incident began with an airstrike on the town of Mayfadoun; a vehicle from the Islamic Health Authority arrived at the scene to provide aid, but the team was targeted while assisting the wounded. Two Health Authority paramedics were hit, one of whom was killed instantly.”

One person was reportedly killed and at least two injured in the first strike.

Saeed Hussein Haribi and Ali Al-Hadi Shadi Sabra were reportedly killed in the second strike. Paramedic Gabi Zalghout, along with at least two other paramedics, were injured.

The third strike – strike on Islamic Message Scouts, Nabatieh ambulance

Shortly after the two strikes, a vehicle from the Islamic Al-Risala Scouts arrived, followed immediately by a second Health Authority vehicle. Upon its arrival, the second vehicle was directly targeted, injuring all the paramedics present on the ground and leaving the Scouts’ vehicle – positioned between the two – trapped. A distress call was then issued to other ambulance teams to come to the site and assist the stricken paramedics. Two ambulances from Nabatieh arrived and worked to aid the wounded and load the bodies of the deceased into the vehicles.

Paramedics Mehdi Abu Zaid and Fadl Ali Sarhan were reportedly killed in this strike, and at least two paramedics were injured.

The fourth strike – strike on Lebanese Civil defense ambulance

Just as the third group of paramedics finished their work and were preparing to depart, their ambulance was directly targeted, resulting in injuries to all the paramedics inside, as well as further injuries to the casualties who had already been loaded into the vehicle. Amidst this, an urgent distress call was made again, and a Lebanese Civil Defense vehicle arrived to evacuate all the injured paramedics and the bodies of the deceased from the scene.

According to Associated Press that commented on the same footage shared by Al Nabatiyah Site, “Rescue workers are seen administering aid to two wounded colleagues on stretchers in the back of an ambulance when an Israeli strike smashes into the vehicle, blowing out its windows and sending glass shattering everywhere. The camera shakes, and the medic who was treating his colleagues screams in pain. The video then shows a third team arriving to help the others before being attacked.”

Finally leaving the scene

The vehicles transported the wounded to Al-Najda Al-Shaabiya Hospital. Four vehicles were left at the site of the strike: two belonging to the Health Authority, one ambulance from Nabatieh, and one vehicle from the Al-Risala Scouts. The toll stands at two martyrs from the Health Authority, one from the Nabatieh ambulance service, and one from the Al-Risala Scouts. The fourth martyr – affiliated with the Health Authority – remains missing [he was later discovered to be deceased]; the Lebanese Army has been contacted to dispatch Lebanese Civil Defense rescue teams to search for him and retrieve what remains at the scene.”

Additional reporting

According to a report by Guardian, when the paramedics received the call to respond to an Israeli airstrike in the city of Mayfadoun, in southern Lebanon, most of them held back, having previously seen “colleagues killed by double-tap attacks targeting rescuers.” But the medics from the Islamic Health Association (IHA) rushed to the scene, the media outlet reported.

Survivor testimony – Gabi Zalghout

One of the paramedics injured in the incident, Gabi Zalghout, spoke to the National from a hospital bed, telling additional details of the incident. According to the media outlet,  Gabi “recalled escaping half-conscious, his legs bleeding heavily, in a damaged ambulance filled with wounded paramedics – all while still under Israeli fire.” Gabi told the media that the first three ambulances were dispatched at 12:30 p.m. to retrieve a body after a previous strike. He and his colleagues were hit by the second, “double-tap” strike, and a missile “landed right between us”, he recalled. About five minutes later, as other rescuers on the ground gathered to help the wounded, a second strike hit, “directly on us”, Mr. Zalghout recounted.

With his legs injured and crawling on the ground, Gabi began to look for survivors: “Anyone who might still be alive or breathing.” “I found an ambulance that was damaged but still running,” he told The National from his hospital bed. He loaded four of his wounded colleagues into it – one of whom would later die of his injuries inside the ambulance. Gabi was forced to leave two colleagues, already dead, behind. These two colleagues were likely Saeed Hussein Haribi and Ali Al-Hadi Shadi Sabra. After driving around 100 metres, he was met by a third rescue crew from the Nabatieh Ambulance Service. Mr. Zalghout opened the ambulance door, fell out and lost consciousness. From there, the Nabatieh Service took over rescue duties.

Survivor testimony – Mahdi Salloum

According to the National, Mahdi Salloum, a paramedic with Nabatieh Ambulance Association, was among the first responders sent to rescue Mr. Zalghout and the others. He recalled opening the back of the damaged ambulance that Mr. Zalghout had driven. “We saw bodies severely injured, some of them missing legs. It was horrible,” he said. Seconds later, as they were finishing transferring the wounded, a third missile struck near the second ambulance, killing a fourth paramedic, the driver, Mahdi Abu Zaid. Mr. Salloum, with wounded paramedics loaded into his vehicle, was forced to drive away. As Salloum showed the bodycam footage to The National, he said: “We had two vehicles on site. The video clearly shows that the vehicles were completely free of any military equipment, contrary to what Israel claims.”

Survivor testimony – Mohammed Jaber

43-year-old Mohammed Jaber who spoke to Isabel Debre, a correspondent for Associated Press, on Friday, April 17, told the following: “The first two ambulances were destroyed, their tires blown and windows shattered. Six of their eight crew members were covered in blood and lying in the road or the back of one vehicle. A paramedic in one of the driver’s seats, blood pulsing from his abdomen, was cradling a colleague in his lap, pleading with him to stay conscious.” Jaber who was in the third rescue team also said that he and the others had hurried to load the most critically injured into their working ambulances. As team leader Mahdi Abu Zaid ran to close the doors, they, too, were attacked.

Additional reporting from AP

According to another report from AP, the attack on the third team of ambulances happened as they were still assessing the first two crews’ injuries, less than six minutes after their arrival: “An Israeli drone smashed the vehicles’ windows and struck 30-year-old Abu Zaid, throwing him to the ground, his colleagues told the AP.  (Mehdi) Abu Zaid, who had a four-year-old son and sold spices and nuts when he wasn’t volunteering as a paramedic, was later proclaimed dead on arrival at al-Najda Hospital.”

The AP report was concluded with a story of an ambulance becoming a monument: “With the ceasefire in effect on Friday, the Nabatiyeh medics rented a tow truck and ventured back to the roadside in Mayfadoun where they had been attacked. The three ambulances sat there, peppered with shrapnel, and the asphalt was stained with blood. They hauled Abu Zeid’s mangled ambulance to a public square in Nabatiyeh, where they said they hoped it would serve as a reminder.  “We want this vehicle to bear witness,” said Mahdi Sadeq, a coordinator for the service. “To bear witness to what happened, to what this war has done to our profession.”

Official statements

Fadi Makki, the Lebanese Minister of Administrative Development, extended his “deepest condolences” to the relatives of those killed “on behalf of the Lebanese government.” Facebook user “Legal Agenda” emphasised that in video of the strike, the medical, non-combatant nature of those injured and killed was clear: “All vehicles are ambulances containing medical and first aid equipment. All those at the scene are paramedics visibly wearing their paramedic uniforms. No military or combat equipment is visible in the video.”

Emergency service organisations were united in their shared loss, with the Nabatieh Volunteer Center extending condolences to their colleagues at the Islamic Message Scouts Association, writing that in their shared loss, they stood “shoulder to shoulder, one hand protecting and the other healing.”

Identifying the belligerent

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strike to the Israel military. While most sources reported a series of airstrikes, some sources, such as the report by Associated Press, claimed it was a drone attack.

According to Associated Press, in response to questions about the Mayfadoun strikes, the Israeli army did not repeat its previous accusations about Hezbollah’s use of health facilities. Instead, it said it was aware of reports about the ambulance attacks and “the incident is under review.” According to The National, the Israeli army said the Mayfadoun quadruple-tap attack targeted “Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure, and not an ambulance or rescue team”. But it did not respond when asked to clarify why the strikes appeared to have followed the paramedics and ambulances after they had departed the initial strike location.