Israel Strikes Hamas Compound in Lebanon, 13 Reportedly Killed
Israeli aircraft carried out strikes overnight Tuesday near the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp outside Sidon, targeting what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said was a Hamas compound. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 13 people were killed in the attack.
“The military compound that was targeted was used by Hamas terrorists for training and exercises to carry out terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel,” the spokesperson said.
The strike was reported as the deadliest since the ceasefire with Lebanon was established nearly a year ago.
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The IDF said that it tried to avoid civilian casualties and intended to target only Hamas members. “Measures were taken to reduce the chance of civilian casualties, including the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence information,” the IDF reported.
Saudi news outlet Hadath reported that Mohammad Shiyoukh and Radwan Khashab, both Hezbollah commanders, were the intended targets. Shiyoukh was also the principal of the al-Mansouri school.
A dispute between Israel and Hamas arose over the intentions and results of the strikes. Hamas denied the IDF’s statement that it was carrying out a military operation and accused Israel of a “brutal assault” inside the crowded camp, insisting, “There are no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon.”
Hamas said the location Israel described as a training area was, in fact, “an open sports field frequented by the youth of the camp,” adding that “those targeted were a group of young boys” who had gathered on the field. However, IDF footage showed a projectile hitting a structure it described as a Hamas-linked training site.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the strike hit a car near the Khalid bin al-Walid mosque. The agency later said the blast also appeared to have damaged the mosque and an adjacent center bearing the same name.
