October 28, 2026
Within the framework of supporting the health sector in southern Lebanon and enhancing its readiness to continue providing medical services, the Italian battalion operating within the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) provided a donation of an advanced device to sterilize surgical instruments for the benefit of Tibnin Governmental Hospital.
In this context, the Commander of the Western Sector of UNIFIL, Brigadier General Andrea Bertazzo, made an official visit to the hospital, where he was received by the President of the Union of Citadel Municipalities, the Mayor of Tibnin, Nabil Fawaz, the Chairman of the Hospital’s Board of Directors and Director, Dr. Muhammad Hamadi, the Chief Medical Officer of Bint Jbeil District, Dr. Musa Jaber, and a number of doctors and employees.
The visit included a field tour of the hospital’s departments, during which Brigadier General Bertazzo was briefed on the progress of work and the level of medical services, praising the dedication of the medical, nursing and administrative staff and their continued performance of their humanitarian mission and meeting the needs of patients despite the difficult exceptional circumstances.
During the handover ceremony, Dr. Mohamed Hamadi gave a speech in which he thanked the Italian battalion for its continued support of the hospital and the local community, explaining that the new sterilization device represents a qualitative addition to the hospital’s operational capabilities, and contributes to raising the efficiency of sterilizing surgical instruments and ensuring the highest standards of patient safety.
For his part, Nabil Fawaz stressed the pivotal role of Tibnin Governmental Hospital as the only government hospital still operating in the region under the current circumstances, which puts it under increasing pressure to meet the health needs of the people. He renewed his thanks to the Italian battalion for its continuous initiatives, praising the efforts of the hospital management and its workers.
In turn, Brigadier General Bertazzo stressed the commitment of UNIFIL and the Italian battalion to stand by the local community and support Lebanese state institutions to enable them to perform their humanitarian and service tasks, stressing the importance of joint cooperation to consolidate stability, and highlighting the depth of the historical ties of friendship that bring together the Lebanese and Italian peoples.
The ceremony concluded with the exchange of commemorative shields between the two sides. This initiative falls within a series of development and humanitarian projects implemented by the Italian battalion in the western sector of UNIFIL to support local and health institutions in southern Lebanon and enhance their capabilities to serve the local population.
