Hamas has announced that an Israeli airstrike killed its leader in Lebanon on Monday.
According to Hamas, its leader in Lebanon, Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, was killed alongside his wife, son, and daughter when their home in a Palestinian refugee camp in Tyre was targeted in the early hours of Monday.
As Israel intensifies its operations against Iranian allies in the region, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) reported that three of its leaders were killed in a strike on the Kola district of Beirut. Witnesses noted that the strike hit the upper floor of an apartment building.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding these attacks.
The rising frequency of Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi militia in Yemen has raised concerns about a potential escalation of conflict that could involve Iran and the United States, Israel’s primary ally. The PFLP is among the militant groups actively engaged in the conflict against Israel.
On Sunday, Israel launched airstrikes targeting the Houthi militia in Yemen and numerous Hezbollah positions across Lebanon, following the earlier killing of a Hezbollah leader. The Houthi-run health ministry reported that at least four people were killed and 29 injured in airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, which Israel stated were a response to missile attacks by the Houthis. In Lebanon, at least 105 people were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes on Sunday.
Over 1,000 killed in two weeks
Lebanon’s Health Ministry indicated that over 1,000 Lebanese have died and 6,000 have been wounded in the last two weeks, though the government did not specify how many were civilians. It also reported that around a million people—about a fifth of the population—have been displaced from their homes.
The intensifying Israeli bombardment over the past two weeks has resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking Hezbollah officials, including its leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has committed to continuing its military operations, asserting the need to secure its northern regions from Hezbollah rocket fire.
Israeli drones were observed flying over Beirut throughout Sunday, with the sounds of airstrikes resonating across the capital. Many displaced families sought refuge on benches at Zaitunay Bay, a popular waterfront area lined with restaurants and cafes.
Most of Israel’s attacks have targeted southern Lebanon, where the Iran-backed Hezbollah conducts most of its operations, as well as the southern suburbs of Beirut. The airstrike in the Kola district on Monday appeared to be the first strike conducted within the city limits. Residents reported that Syrian refugees fleeing the bombardment had been sleeping under a bridge in the neighbourhood for days.
The United States has called for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Lebanon while also authorizing military reinforcements in the region. President Joe Biden, when asked about the possibility of avoiding an all-out war in the Middle East, stated, “It has to be.” He mentioned plans to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(With inputs from AP)