Israel early this morning struck the Palestinian refugee camp "Ain al-Hilweh", located outside the city of Saida in southern Lebanon, in an attempt to kill Munir al-Maqda , commander of the Lebanese branch of the Palestinian movement "Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades" (the military wing of "Fatah"), two Palestinian security officials told Reuters, BTA reported.
It is currently unclear whether Makda was killed or injured in the attack. This is the first Israeli strike on "Ain al-Hilweh" – the largest of several Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, since the start of cross-border military clashes between "Hezbollah" and Israel nearly a year ago.
The Israeli army said earlier that it had launched a "limited and localized" ground operation against "Hezbollah" in South Lebanon, DPA reported.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched "targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence," the army said in a statement posted on the X social network. "The targets are located in villages near the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel," the text also said. The ground forces are supported by the Air Force, which carries out "precision strikes" on military targets in the area.
The IDF said in its statement that it "continues to work towards the goals of the war and is doing everything necessary to protect the citizens of Israel and return the residents of northern Israel to their homes.