Saeed Atallah Ali, a member of Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. The attack, which took place in the Dawi camp in Tripoli, also claimed the lives of three of his family members, according to a report from Reuters.
Hamas issued a statement mourning the loss of Saeed Atallah Ali, calling him a leader within the al-Qassam Brigades. The militant group noted that his home was bombed, causing the fatalities.
This is the latest in a series of targeted operations by Israel, which has recently escalated its offensive against militant leaders in the region. These actions have raised fears of a broader conflict erupting in the Middle East.
Israeli forces have been conducting ongoing airstrikes in Lebanon, killing over 2,000 people so far. The strikes have also been accompanied by ground incursions aimed at Hezbollah positions. In recent attacks on Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut, Israel claimed to have eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who had led the group for 32 years. Additionally, Israel allegedly targeted an underground bunker where key Hezbollah figures, including Nasrallah's potential successor, Hashem Safieddine, were reportedly meeting.
Earlier this year, in July, Israel announced the killing of Mohammed Deif, a senior Hamas leader and the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks on Israel. Deif was killed in an airstrike in Gaza’s Khan Yunis area, following years of evading multiple assassination attempts.
Meanwhile, Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in Tehran during an airstrike on a guest house where he was staying for the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has not officially taken responsibility for the strike.
In retaliation for Nasrallah’s killing, Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, defended the strikes, calling the attacks on Israel "legal and legitimate" during his first Friday sermon in five years. Khamenei warned that Israel’s days as a nation were numbered.