At least 13 people lost their lives in southern Lebanon when an Israeli air strike hit the vicinity of the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The attack also wounded four others, as local emergency teams rushed to help the injured amid plumes of smoke rising from the crowded camp.
Israel’s military said the operation targeted members of Hamas "operating in a training compound... in the Ein el-Hilweh area," claiming the site was used to organize attacks against Israel. Hamas dismissed these claims, stating they were "fabrication and lies" and insisting the area was an "open sports field" with no military installations.
Videos shared online showed ambulances navigating the narrow, densely populated streets of the camp while emergency personnel assisted those affected. Early reports indicated the strike hit a location outside a mosque, a spot usually busy during the night.
The Israel Defense Forces defended their actions, saying, "prior to the strike, measures were taken to reduce the chance of harm to civilians, including the use of precision munitions, aerial observations, and additional intelligence information."
The strike comes amid continued regional tension following Hamas attacks on southern Israel from Gaza on 7 October 2023, which left about 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Israel’s counterattacks have killed at least 69,169 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated after the Lebanese group fired rockets in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
A 13-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah culminated in an Israeli bombing campaign and ground incursion into southern Lebanon in October 2024.
Lebanese authorities report roughly 4,000 deaths and the displacement of over 1.2 million people, while Israel confirmed the deaths of more than 80 soldiers and 47 civilians.
