Israel Targets Hamas Leader in Beddawi Camp in Northern Lebanon for the First Time
This morning, Thursday, the Beddawi camp north of Tripoli witnessed the first Israeli airstrike targeting a Hamas leader outside the known areas of Hezbollah, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Field sources reported that the strike hit a residential apartment near a mosque within one of the buildings in the camp, causing a powerful explosion heard in several neighborhoods of Tripoli and its surroundings, amidst a state of tension and fear among residents.
The target was Waseem Attallah Al-Ali, one of the Hamas leaders in the camp, who was at home with his family at the time of the bombing.
This step represents an expansion of Israeli military operations into northern Lebanon for the first time since the recent escalation, after previous strikes focused on the south and the southern suburbs of Beirut and its vicinity.
In a related context, the Israeli army has intensified its airstrikes over the past hours on the southern suburbs of Beirut, the south, and the Bekaa Valley, coinciding with repeated warnings for residents of certain areas to evacuate.
Israel announced yesterday, Wednesday, that it targeted 250 sites belonging to Hezbollah within 24 hours, affirming that it will not relent in its demand to disarm the party.
This operation follows a series of Israeli airstrikes that targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut in the morning, the stronghold of Hezbollah, amidst warnings for the evacuation of affected areas, in light of the extensive military escalation currently taking place in Lebanon.
