At least 13 people were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli attack on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, Lebanese state media said.
The drone strike hit a car in the parking lot of a mosque in the Ein al-Hilwe refugee camp on the outskirts of the coastal city of Sidon, according to the state-run National News Agency.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that the attack “killed 13 people and injured several others”, adding that “ambulances were still taking more injured to nearby hospitals.”
Israel claims it attacked Hamas terrorists
Israel said Tuesday’s attacks targeted a Hamas training complex that was being used to prepare for attacks against Israel and its forces. The Israeli military said it would continue operations against Hamas wherever the group operates.
Hamas, considered a terrorist group by others including the United States and the European Union, denied having any such complexes in Palestinian camps in Lebanon and called Israel’s claims “lies”.
However, the Associated Press news agency reported that Hamas affiliates in the camp would not allow journalists to see what had happened.
Tuesday’s attack was the deadliest in Lebanon since a ceasefire agreement was reached between Hezbollah and Israel a year ago. The Hamas- and Iran-allied militant group wields considerable influence in the country, despite differences with the government.
A large number of people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon over the past two years.
Edited by: Elisabeth Schumacher