Israeli strikes kill 5 in Lebanon, hitting refugee camp and car

Israeli airstrikes killed five people across Lebanon on Thursday, with one strike targeting an apartment in the Beddawi refugee camp in northern Tripoli and another hitting a vehicle in the south. Lebanon's official National News Agency reported that the Tripoli strike killed Wassim al-Ali, a Hamas member, along with his wife, while their daughter was wounded and hospitalized. The attack on the densely populated camp marks a significant expansion of Israel's campaign into northern Lebanon.

Southern Lebanon Attacks

In a separate incident, an Israeli drone struck a car on the Tyre-Naqoura road near Qleileh in southern Lebanon, killing three people. Israeli aircraft also hit a house in the town of Shaabiyeh and carried out heavy airstrikes on Qabrikha in the Marjayoun district. The strikes followed earlier attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs, including Ghobeiry and Haret Hreik, as Israeli warplanes continued heavy overflights.

Conflict Context and Ceasefire Violations

The attacks come as Hezbollah has retaliated for ongoing Israeli strikes and the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by targeting military sites in northern Israel with rockets and drones. The Israeli military has responded with airstrikes that have killed at least 72 people and wounded nearly 450 in recent days, while also launching a ground incursion into southern Lebanon. Israel has repeatedly violated the November 2024 ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, carrying out near-daily strikes that have left hundreds dead and wounded. The escalation on the Lebanese front runs parallel to the larger US-Israeli campaign against Iran, which has killed nearly 900 people since Saturday, drawing retaliatory strikes from Tehran targeting Israel and Gulf states hosting US assets.