A Hamas commander and his family have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, raising concerns over further escalation in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Get the latest updates on this developing story.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas reported that an Israeli strike on Saturday resulted in the death of one of its commanders at a refugee camp in northern Lebanon. This marks the first time this area has been targeted since the onset of the Gaza conflict.
Commander Saeed Attallah Ali, together with his wife and two daughters, lost their lives due to a bombardment by Israeli forces that targeted their residence in the Beddawi camp, situated near the northern city of Tripoli.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict nearly a year ago, Israel has consistently focused on Hamas officials based in Lebanon.
Since then, Hamas has reported that at least 18 of its militants have died in Lebanon.
The organization reported that an airstrike on Monday resulted in the death of its leader, Fatah Sharif Abu al-Amine, at his residence within the Al-Bass camp located in southern Lebanon.
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In August, an Israeli attack on a vehicle in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon resulted in the death of Hamas commander Samer al-Hajj.
In January, a strike that a US defense official attributed to Israel resulted in the deaths of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri and six other militants within Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut.
Lebanon’s twelve Palestinian refugee camps were established for individuals who were displaced or fled during the 1948 war that coincided with Israel’s founding.
According to a long-established tradition, the Lebanese army refrains from entering the camps and allows Palestinian factions to manage security.
