BEIRUT: Israeli forces on Friday conducted airstrikes in two separate locations in Lebanon, killing a senior Hamas leader and two Hezbollah fighters, according to reports.
The first airstrike targeted a vehicle in the southern city of Sidon, located approximately 60 kilometers (nearly 40 miles) from the border, killing Hamas security official Samer Al-Hajj. Al-Hajj worked in the nearby Palestinian refugee camp, Ain Al-Hilweh. His bodyguard was critically injured, reports say.
This marks the first such strike in Sidon since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, which started on October 7 following a surprise cross-border attack by Hamas. This conflict has led Hezbollah to engage in near-daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces.
In a separate strike on Friday, two Hezbollah fighters were killed near the border, as reported by both Hezbollah and the Israeli military. Hezbollah stated that the fighters were killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” a term it uses for those killed by Israeli forces.
A source close to Hezbollah, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the fighters were killed in Naqura. The Israeli military reported that the two operatives were targeted as they exited a military structure in Naqura.
Additionally, Israeli drones have been flying over southern Lebanon, broadcasting messages accusing Hezbollah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, of being responsible for the cross-border violence. Hezbollah has condemned these messages as incitement.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched several attacks on Israeli positions, including rocket and drone strikes. Lebanese sources reported multiple Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon in response.
Since the beginning of the conflict with Gaza, at least 561 people have been killed in Lebanon, and over 102,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon, with tens of thousands more displaced in northern Israel.
In Palestinian territories, at least 39,699 Palestinians have been killed and 91,722 injured in Israel’s devastating air and ground war, the Gaza health ministry said.
