Israeli Airstrike on Lebanon Refugee Camp Kills 13, Deadliest Since Ceasefire

An Israeli airstrike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon killed 13 people and wounded several others on Tuesday, according to Lebanese state media and government officials. It marks the deadliest attack in Lebanon since the ceasefire that ended the Israel–Hezbollah war a year ago.

The strike, carried out by a drone, targeted a car in the parking lot of a mosque inside the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp near the coastal city of Sidon, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. The Health Ministry confirmed the death toll but did not release further details.

Hamas fighters in the camp prevented journalists from accessing the blast site, while ambulances worked to evacuate the wounded and retrieve the dead.

The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas training compound used to prepare attacks against Israel, adding that it would continue operations against Hamas “wherever the group operates.” In a statement, Hamas rejected the allegation, claiming the strike hit a sports playground and denying the presence of a training facility.

Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past two years have killed numerous officials from Hezbollah and Palestinian factions, including Hamas. Notably, Saleh Arouri — Hamas’ deputy political chief and a founder of its military wing — was killed in a drone strike in a southern Beirut suburb on January 2, 2024. Several other Hamas figures have been targeted since.

Hamas led the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people, triggering Israel’s offensive on Gaza, which the Gaza Health Ministry says has killed tens of thousands.

One day after the war began, Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel, igniting an escalating cycle of cross-border attacks. This ultimately evolved into a full-scale war in late September 2024 — the latest in a series of conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah over the past four decades.

More than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including hundreds of civilians, were killed in the 2024 conflict, which caused an estimated $11 billion in damage, according to the World Bank. Israel reported 127 fatalities, including 80 soldiers.

The war ended in late November 2024 under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Despite the truce, Israel has continued to conduct airstrikes in Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild its military capabilities.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says more than 270 people have been killed and around 850 wounded by Israeli military actions since the ceasefire took effect.