Israeli strikes kill Hamas leader, top Palestinian officials in Beirut

BEIRUT: Israel’s strike reportedly killed Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, Hamas leader, and his family, while three leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) were killed in a separate attack on Beirut.

The strike on Abu el-Amin’s home occurred early Monday morning at a Palestinian refugee camp in Tyre. The PFLP also confirmed the killing of some of its leaders in the Kola district of Beirut, which was the first Israeli attack inside the city’s limits.

Incidents have come amidst upscaling attacks as Israel steps up the military campaign against Iran-aligned groups in the region. A series of airstrikes throughout Lebanon and Yemen by Israeli forces struck Hezbollah’s and Houthi’s positions that had been occurring for several days due to rocket attacks.

Reports say that there were heavy losses in the last bombardment of Israeli forces, killing more than 1,000 Lebanese in the last two weeks and thousands injured, whilst the health ministry in Lebanon says around one million people were displaced.

Israeli officials said they would continue their offensive in an effort to keep southern parts of the country safe from the threat of Hezbollah. For weeks, drones have been flying over Beirut, ratcheting up fears of a much larger conflict that may draw Iran and the United States into the regional squabble.

The United States was seen pushing for a diplomatic solution to the crisis and that military deployment in the area would continue. President Joe Biden insisted on no full-scale war in the Middle East region, which sent another sign that diplomacy between the two leaders was on its way.