Hamas Leader in Lebanon Killed in Israeli Airstrike on Refugee Camp
Palestinian militant group Hamas announced on Monday that its leader in Lebanon, Fatah Sharif Abu al-Amine, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting his home in the Al-Bass refugee camp near the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon. The attack also claimed the lives of his wife, son, and daughter, according to a statement by Hamas, which condemned the incident as a “terrorist and criminal assassination.”
Airstrike Hits Palestinian Refugee Camp in Lebanon
The Lebanese National News Agency confirmed the airstrike, noting that it marked the first time that the Al-Bass camp, which primarily houses Palestinian refugees, has been targeted. The camp is one of many established for Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.
Hours before the Al-Bass camp strike, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) reported the deaths of three of its members in an earlier strike in Beirut’s Kola district.
Increased Targeting of Hamas Leaders in Lebanon
This incident is part of a broader pattern of airstrikes targeting Hamas officials in Lebanon amid ongoing tensions. In January, an Israeli airstrike killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri and six others in Hezbollah’s stronghold in south Beirut. Similarly, an Israeli attack in August killed Hamas commander Samer al-Hajj in Sidon.
Lebanon’s refugee camps, established for Palestinians displaced during the 1948 conflict, have historically been off-limits to the Lebanese army, with Palestinian factions managing security within these camps.
The recent escalation highlights the continued volatility in Lebanon and the broader region as conflicts between Israel and Hamas extend beyond the borders of Gaza.
