Sidon: Two people were killed, and three others were injured in an Israeli drone strike on the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. This incident marks a recent violation of a ceasefire deal established in 2024, highlighting ongoing tensions in the region.
According to Anadolu Agency, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that the strike specifically hit the Hittin neighborhood within the densely populated camp, located near the city of Sidon. The airstrike resulted in significant material damage to the targeted building and nearby structures, further exacerbating the humanitarian situation in the camp.
The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed in a statement that two individuals lost their lives, and three others sustained injuries due to the attack. Emergency services were quick to respond, with ambulances transporting the injured to Sidon hospitals. The hospitals have issued an urgent plea for blood donations to address the critical condition of the injured, as reported by NNA.
In a statement, the Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that it targeted a Hamas command center in the Ain al-Hilweh area. This follows a similar incident in November 2025, where an Israeli military strike in the same location resulted in at least 13 deaths and several injuries. The Israeli military had asserted that the target was a Hamas facility allegedly used for planning attacks against Israel.
Hamas has condemned the recent attack, describing it as a ‘brutal assault’ on civilians. The group claimed that the strike hit a group of teenagers on an open sports field, contradicting the Israeli army’s statement.
In addition to the Ain al-Hilweh attack, Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on Lebanon’s eastern and western mountain ranges. Explosions were heard across the Bekaa region, as reported by NNA. Three strikes targeted the Shaara area at the base of the eastern mountain range, with aircraft continuing to patrol the skies over Baalbek.
One of the airstrikes demolished a building near the Al-Qard Al-Hassan Foundation on the Riyaq-Baalbek highway. Israeli warplanes also conducted two more airstrikes on the plains of Qasr Naba and Tamnine al-Tahta, west of Baalbek. The Israeli army claimed these strikes were aimed at Hezbollah command centers in Lebanon.
These recent actions occur amid ongoing Israeli violations of the 2024 ceasefire agreement, which have resulted in numerous casualties among Lebanese civilians. Israel continues to occupy several Lebanese hilltops captured during the most recent conflict, along with other areas held for decades.