Hamas commander Saeed Attallah Ali, along with his wife and two daughters, were killed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike on their home in the Beddawi camp near Tripoli, northern Lebanon.
Hamas confirmed that this was the first time the area had been targeted since the Gaza war began nearly a year ago, Al Jazeera reports. Israel has since extended its operations into Lebanon, moving beyond the border region after a year of escalating tensions with Hezbollah. Early Saturday, explosions were heard in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Residents in Dahiyeh had received warnings from Israel prior to the strikes, though it’s unclear how many civilians were able to evacuate. On Friday, Israel targeted Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in southern Beirut, claiming to have killed senior military figures.
The Israeli military also stated that it struck Hezbollah fighters inside a mosque near Salah Ghandour Hospital in southern Lebanon, which it said was being used as a command center. Nine hospital staff members were severely wounded during the attack, despite Israel’s prior warning to evacuate.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah forces clashed with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and launched rocket strikes on Israel’s Ramat David Airbase on Saturday.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported that Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people over the past year, with the majority of casualties occurring in the last two weeks. The United Nations has condemned the high civilian toll, calling it “totally unacceptable,” as shelters for displaced persons reached full capacity and the Lebanon-Syria border crossing was closed following an Israeli strike on Friday.
Despite Israel’s requests, UN peacekeepers announced they would not withdraw from their positions in southern Lebanon.
Amid the escalating violence, a South Korean military aircraft evacuated 97 of its citizens from Lebanon on Saturday.