A deadly Israeli military strike on a densely populated Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon has killed at least 13 people, marking the most serious violation of the truce with Hezbollah since it came into effect last year.
Details of the Attack
The assault occurred on Tuesday evening at the Ain al-Hilweh camp on the outskirts of Saida. According to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency, a drone strike initially targeted a car parking area at approximately 9.20pm local time.
This was swiftly followed by three missiles hitting the nearby Khalid bin Al-Walid Mosque and the Khalid bin Al-Walid Centre. The force of the blasts caused significant damage, trapping numerous people under the resulting rubble.
Established in 1948, Ain al-Hilweh is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, originally created for people displaced by Israeli forces from their homes in coastal towns.
Conflicting Claims and Aftermath
The Israeli military justified the attack, claiming it targeted a "Hamas training compound" that was being used to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against Israel.
However, Hamas strongly condemned the strike, stating it hit a sports playground and insisting that "there are no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon".
The Lebanese health ministry confirmed the devastating toll, reporting 13 dead and a number of others wounded. Ambulances worked tirelessly to navigate the camp's narrow lanes to transport the injured to nearby hospitals.
A Broader Context of Conflict
This incident is the latest in a series of escalations. The recent war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in late November 2024, resulted in over 4,000 deaths in Lebanon and widespread destruction.
Since that truce took effect, the Lebanese health ministry has reported more than 270 people killed and about 850 wounded in Israeli attacks, which Israel claims are responses to Hezbollah rebuilding its capabilities.
This attack also follows the pattern of the wider conflict, which was triggered by Hamas's attack on southern Israel in October 2023 and Israel's subsequent devastating war on Gaza.
