At least 13 people were killed in an Israeli strike on Tuesday night at a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, authorities reported. Israel said it targeted a Hamas compound.
The attack took place in Ain al-Helweh, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, located near the coastal city of Sidon. Firefighters were seen extinguishing fires in a damaged building as gunmen fired shots to clear paths for incoming ambulances.
Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed the deaths and said several others were wounded. Ambulances continued transporting injured individuals to nearby hospitals. The state-run National News Agency reported that a car near the Khalid bin al-Walid mosque was hit, with reports suggesting the mosque and a nearby center were also affected. However, correspondents saw no visible damage to the mosque itself.
Israel’s military stated that it struck a Hamas training compound in the Ain al-Helweh refugee camp, claiming operations were against Hamas’s establishment in Lebanon.
Hamas denied Israel’s claims, calling them “lies” and insisting there were no military installations in Palestinian camps in Lebanon. The movement said the targeted area was an open sports field where young boys were present at the time of the strike.
The strike adds to ongoing tensions between Israel and groups operating from Lebanon, despite a ceasefire agreed last November aimed at halting hostilities with Hamas ally Hezbollah. Israel has previously targeted both Hezbollah and Hamas operatives in Lebanon.
Lebanon hosts roughly 222,000 Palestinian refugees, according to UNRWA. By longstanding convention, the Lebanese army does not enter refugee camps, leaving security to Palestinian factions. Recent efforts to disarm armed groups in these camps have seen some weapons handed over to Lebanese authorities, but Hamas has not yet announced any disarmament plans.
The strike at the Ain al-Helweh refugee camp highlights the fragile security situation in southern Lebanon and the ongoing risks faced by civilians living in densely populated Palestinian camps.
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