On Saturday, Hamas in Lebanon confirmed the death of a senior commander from its military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, in an Israeli airstrike on his residence in the Beddawi refugee camp in northern Lebanon.
The airstrike targeted the home of Saeed Ali, a high-ranking commander within the al-Qassam Brigades, according to reports from an Anadolu correspondent.
News About Nigeria gathered that the bombing claimed the lives of Ali, his wife, Shaimaa Khalil Azzam, and their two daughters, Zeinab and Fatima.
In an official statement, Hamas announced, “The Israeli airstrike targeted the residence of Saeed Ali, leading to his martyrdom along with his family.”
The group vowed retaliation, stating, “Israel’s leadership will pay for their criminal decisions against our people.”
The assassination of Saeed Ali comes just days after another Hamas leader, Fatah Sharif, was killed in a similar Israeli airstrike on his home in the Burj al-Shemali refugee camp in southern Lebanon.
Since the escalation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel in October 2023, Israel has intensified airstrikes against Hamas leaders and al-Qassam Brigades members in Lebanon.
One of the most high-profile strikes occurred on January 2, 2024, when Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas’ deputy leader, was killed in a drone strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has intensified since Israel’s war on Gaza began, following a major attack by Hamas in October 2023.
The conflict has claimed over 41,800 lives, the majority of whom are reported to be women and children, according to Lebanese authorities.
In Lebanon alone, at least 2,011 people have been killed, over 9,500 injured, and 1.2 million displaced as the situation continues to worsen.
International bodies have raised concerns that Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon could further escalate the Gaza conflict into a broader regional war.
