Hospitals Gear Up for Potential War With Hezbollah

By Aryeh Stern

As tensions escalate between Israel and Hezbollah, hospitals in the Galilee region and beyond are preparing for the possibility of expanded war and increased casualties. Using fortified areas, advanced technology, and insights from previous wars, they aim to enhance security and readiness.

The Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya – at just 9 kilometers from the Lebanon border, this hospital is Israel’s closest medical center to any border – was the first in Israel to develop extensive underground facilities to ensure uninterrupted medical care during attacks. These include 450 protected monitoring areas connected by tunnels, allowing safe movement and treatment. The hospital’s emergency room and other critical sites are shielded, enabling staff to continue working even during missile strikes.

In addition, the hospital uses advanced technology to streamline operations and improve efficiency. The Viz.AI system leverages artificial intelligence to analyze CT scans, expediting critical medical decisions and reducing response times. Similarly, the admission, discharge, and outpatient care system quickly identifies clinical situations in CT scans, enhancing accuracy in medical responses.

Around 60,000 Israelis living in northern communities were forced to evacuate in October when the Hezbollah terror organization began daily rocket and drone attacks. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. Since Oct. 7, the Hezbollah attacks have killed 10 civilians and 14 soldiers.

Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.