Hamas commander Saeed Attallah Ali, along with his wife and two daughters, were killed on Saturday during an Israeli airstrike on their home in the Beddawi camp near Tripoli, northern Lebanon.
Hamas confirmed that this was the first time the area had been targeted since the Gaza war began nearly a year ago, according to Al Jazeera.
Israel has expanded its attacks on Lebanon, moving beyond the border region following a year of escalating tensions with Hezbollah. Explosions were heard early Saturday in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Residents in Dahiyeh received warnings from Israel prior to the strikes, although it remains unclear how many civilians were able to escape.
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On Friday, Israel targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in the southern suburbs, claiming to have eliminated senior military figures.
The Israeli military also reported that it targeted Hezbollah fighters inside a mosque near Salah Ghandour Hospital in southern Lebanon, which it claimed was being used as a command center. Nine hospital staff members were seriously injured in the strike, which followed an Israeli warning to evacuate.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah engaged in combat with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and launched rockets at Israel’s Ramat David Airbase on Saturday.
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health has reported that over 2,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past year, with the majority of casualties occurring in the last two weeks.
The United Nations condemned the civilian toll, describing it as “totally unacceptable,” as shelters for displaced persons reached capacity and the main Lebanon-Syria border crossing was closed following an Israeli strike on Friday.
Despite Israeli requests, UN peacekeepers stated that they would not relocate from their positions in southern Lebanon.
A South Korean military aircraft evacuated 97 citizens from Lebanon on Saturday, as Israeli strikes and Hezbollah retaliations continued to escalate across the region.
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