BEIRUT: Palestinian group Hamas announced on Monday that its leader in Lebanon, Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
The strike also claimed the lives of his wife, son, and daughter in a Palestinian refugee camp in the southern city of Tyre. The strike comes amid escalating hostilities as Israel continues its attacks against Iran’s allies in the region.
Additionally, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) stated that three of its leaders were killed in another Israeli strike in Beirut’s Kola district.
The airstrike targeted the upper floor of an apartment building, according to witnesses. This marks the first strike within Beirut’s city limits, further intensifying fears of a broader regional conflict.
There has been no immediate comment from Israel’s military on either strike. Israel’s increasing frequency of attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as the Houthi militia in Yemen, has raised concerns that the Middle Eastern conflict could spiral out of control, potentially involving Iran and Israel’s main ally, the United States.
Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, has retaliated by targeting Israeli sites in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanese civilians.
Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, was killed earlier in an Israeli airstrike, further escalating tensions. Israel continues its assault, aiming to secure its northern areas, which have been heavily affected by Hezbollah rocket attacks.
The situation in Lebanon has been dire, with the health ministry reporting that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 105 people on Sunday.
Over the past two weeks, more than 1,000 Lebanese have been killed, with more than 6,000 wounded, according to the ministry, although they did not specify the number of civilian casualties. The government has reported that a million people, or a fifth of Lebanon’s population, have fled their homes.
Israeli drones hovered over Beirut on Sunday, and new airstrikes were reported in the city. Families displaced by the conflict have sought refuge in areas like Zaitunay Bay, a waterfront area with restaurants and cafes. Israel has primarily focused its attacks in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates, but Monday’s attack in the Kola district marked the first within Beirut’s central area.
Israel also launched airstrikes in Yemen, targeting Houthi militia strongholds. The Houthi-run health ministry reported that at least four people were killed, and 29 were wounded in the port city of Hodeida, a key location for humanitarian aid and fuel imports.
These strikes were in response to Houthi missile attacks on Israel, with the Houthi group claiming responsibility for an attempted strike on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from New York.
Israeli military spokesman Captain David Avraham confirmed that dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, attacked military-use targets in Hodeida and Ras Issa in Yemen. Earlier, Israel had targeted Hodeida port in July, causing significant damage after a Houthi drone attack killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.
The airstrikes in Lebanon and Yemen are part of a broader campaign by Israel, which has also been striking Hezbollah’s leadership. In addition to Nasrallah, other top Hezbollah officials, including Nabil Qaouq, a member of the group’s central council, were killed in the recent strikes.
Israeli forces have claimed to decimate much of Hezbollah’s senior command, including Nasrallah’s right-hand man, Fuad Shukr, and Radwan Force head Ibrahim Aqil.
Hezbollah has yet to officially confirm Qaouq’s death, but sources close to the group confirmed it. The death of Nasrallah is seen as a seismic blow to Hezbollah, which has been a significant political, military, and social force in Lebanon.
In parallel to the events in Lebanon, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the PFLP continue to act in support of Hamas militants in Gaza, which has been a flashpoint since the October 7 attack on Israel, triggering the ongoing conflict.
The escalation has raised concerns of a broader regional war, drawing in other actors like Iran and the United States. The U.S. has urged for a diplomatic resolution but has authorized military reinforcement in the region in case the conflict widens.
Amidst the growing conflict, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Lebanon on Sunday, appealing for an immediate halt to the Israeli strikes and calling for Hezbollah and Iran to refrain from any action that could further ignite the region.
Pope Francis also condemned the Israeli airstrikes on civilians, stating that when defense goes beyond proportionality, it violates morality.
Lebanon’s government and international actors are working to contain the situation, but with over 700 people killed in the last week alone, including 14 paramedics, the crisis shows little sign of abating.
