Massacre in Ain al-Hilweh: Israel Escalates Attacks in Southern Lebanon, 13 Martyred
Hamas rejects Israeli claims, confirms victims are camp residents as Tel Aviv intensifies cross-border aggression and violates ceasefire
Lebanon, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Thirteen people were martyred and others wounded in a massacre carried out by Israeli occupation forces after a drone strike hit the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon, southern Lebanon, on Tuesday evening.
Lebanese media reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle inside the camp, while the National News Agency (NNA) confirmed that the strike occurred near the Khalid bin al-Walid Mosque, igniting fires across the area.
This attack came just hours after another Lebanese citizen was martyred in an Israeli drone strike on a car in the town of Blida.
Hamas: No Senior Official Targeted — “This Was a Massacre”
Hamas officials stated that Israel struck an indoor “mini-football” field well-known to residents and typically crowded at that hour, dismissing Israeli claims about targeting a senior figure.
The movement stressed that all those martyred were camp residents, affirming that “what happened was an Israeli massacre, and the enemy seeks a major escalation.”
Sources added that the attack comes at a highly sensitive moment for Lebanon, in the midst of ongoing Israeli threats to widen its aggression and in the aftermath of the UN Security Council’s recent resolution.
A low-flying Israeli drone was observed moving from the Zahrani area toward Sidon shortly after the strike.
Escalating Drone Strikes Across the South: Blida and Bint Jbeil Targeted
Earlier in the day, an Israeli drone struck a car in Blida, marking the second attack on the town after an Israeli drone dropped a bomb on an excavator at dawn, setting it ablaze.
A Lebanese citizen was also martyred in Bint Jbeil after an Israeli drone strike hit his vehicle. The victim was identified as Ali Shaaito, an employee of the Union of Municipalities of Bint Jbeil.
Israeli warplanes continued to fly at medium altitude over the eastern and western mountain ranges, as well as the Bekaa and Hermel regions, while conducting mock air raids over Nabatieh and Iqlim al-Tuffah.
Hostile drones also carried out intensive low-altitude surveillance flights over multiple towns.
Ceasefire Violations Mount as Israel Continues Occupation of Lebanese Territory
The outskirts of Houla and Markaba in the Marjayoun district came under Israeli machine-gun fire from a newly erected military post.
Israel continues to violate the ceasefire agreement signed on November 27, 2024 — violations that have resulted in hundreds of martyrs and wounded.
The agreement was meant to end the Israeli aggression that began in October 2023 and escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing over 4,000 and injuring more than 17,000 people.
Israel also persists in occupying five Lebanese hills seized during the latest war, in addition to Lebanese territories it has held for decades. (PW)