Deadly Airstrikes on Ein al‑Hilweh Refugee Camp in Lebanon Kill at Least 13

Israeli airstrikes on the Ein al‑Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people and wounded several others on Tuesday, Lebanese officials said. The strikes marked one of the deadliest cross‑border incidents since last year’s ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanese state media and local authorities reported the operation began with a drone strike that hit a car parked outside the Khalid bin al‑Walid mosque inside the densely populated camp. Three additional missiles were reported to have struck the mosque and a nearby community centre. Photographs and video from the scene showed rescuers searching through rubble and ambulances evacuating the wounded.

Health officials warned the death toll could rise as more injured people were transported to hospitals and appealed to residents to donate blood.

Claims and denials

The Israeli military said it targeted Hamas operatives who were allegedly using Ein al‑Hilweh as a "training compound" for planning attacks. The military added that precautions were taken before the strike to reduce civilian harm, including the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance and intelligence assessments.

“The IDF is operating against Hamas’ establishment in Lebanon and will continue to operate against Hamas terrorists wherever they operate,” the Israeli military said.

Hamas rejected Israel’s account, calling the claims "fabrication and lies," and described the strikes as a "barbaric aggression" and a violation of Lebanese sovereignty. The group said the location hit was an open sports field frequented by young men and denied the presence of military installations in Palestinian camps in Lebanon.

Context and background

Ein al‑Hilweh, located south of the city of Sidon, is Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp and houses more than 64,000 people. Many families trace their presence there to 1948 resettlements from coastal towns in northern Palestine. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) notes that security and governance inside the camp are handled by local Popular Committees and Palestinian factions, while access is controlled by the Lebanese Armed Forces through checkpoints.

Tuesday’s attack was the second major strike on Ein al‑Hilweh in just over a year. In October 2024, Israeli forces struck in the area, saying they targeted the home of a Fatah-associated figure linked to the Al‑Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. That earlier operation and related incidents prompted the Lebanese government to move to disarm irregular forces in parts of the camp after the Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire.

Other strikes in southern Lebanon on the same day reportedly killed one person in the town of Bilda and another in Bint Jbeil. Lebanon’s health ministry says that since the ceasefire more than 270 people have been killed and roughly 850 wounded by Israeli military actions.

The situation remains tense and fluid. Independent verification of some claims on all sides is limited, and local authorities say casualty figures could change as more information becomes available.