An Israeli strike on northern Lebanon killed a Hamas leader, his wife, and their two daughters, according to the Palestinian armed group, as Israeli air raids against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah continue in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Commander Saeed Attallah Ali and his family were slain on Saturday in the “Zionist bombardment of his house in the Beddawi camp” near the northern city of Tripoli, Hamas said. It was the first time the area had been attacked since the start of the Gaza war nearly a year ago.
Ali has been identified as a leader of Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades.Israel has repeatedly targeted Hamas officials in Lebanon in recent weeks, killing several of the most senior leaders of the group. Hamas said 18 of its senior commanders have been killed in recent weeks.Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the strike near the port city of Tripoli.
Israel has been sharply expanding its attacks on Lebanon after nearly a year of exchanging fire with Hezbollah. Fighting had been mostly limited to the Israel-Lebanon border area, taking place in parallel with Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas
Explosions were also heard early Saturday in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel apparently informed residents of the Dahiyeh neighborhood soon before the attacks, although it is unknown how many civilians escaped.
On Friday, Israel said it had attacked Hezbollah’s intelligence center in the southern suburbs and was assessing the damage, following a series of attacks on senior figures in the group.