Deadly Strike at Ain al-Helweh Camp Sparks Fear and Dispute Over Target

Residents of the Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon were left shaken and grieving after a nighttime strike that Lebanese authorities say killed 13 people. The operation — which Israeli forces said hit a Hamas training compound — has been strongly denied by Hamas, which called the allegation false and said the location was a public sports area used by youths.

'The bombing last night happened while people at home were getting ready for bed,' said Mohammed Mustafa, 67. 'We heard the sound of three missiles, then our home shook. The children were shaking with fear.'

Emergency workers continued to recover human remains at the heavily damaged site near one of the camp's entrances. The struck structure, described by residents as a metal-roofed building close to a parking area and a mosque, had its roof largely blown off and walls pocked with shrapnel. Bloodstains, charred vehicles and shattered shopfronts were reported nearby.

Residents said the location had been an open, accessible area used for recreation — at times hosting a children's pool and later converted into a small football area — and that coloured interlocking floor tiles typical of play or exercise spaces were scattered among the rubble. Reporters were later allowed to enter the scene after a security cordon was lifted by Palestinian factions who control internal camp security by longstanding convention; the Lebanese army generally does not enter the refugee camps.

The Israeli military said it "struck terrorists who operated in a Hamas training compound in the Ain al-Helweh area." Hamas rejected that account, calling it 'pure fabrications and lies' and asserting the victims were young people using a sports area. Independent verification of the identities and ages of those killed was not available.

Ain al-Helweh had been largely spared during more than a year of cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah before a ceasefire came into effect last November. The broader escalation began in October 2023 when Hezbollah increased fire toward Israel amid the Gaza war, and Israel has continued periodic strikes in Lebanon since the truce, typically saying it targets Hezbollah and sometimes Hamas.

Palestinian refugee camps like Ain al-Helweh were created for people who fled or were displaced during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Lebanon hosts roughly 222,000 registered Palestinian refugees.

Standing near damaged cars, Jamal Shreidi, 65, asked rhetorically: 'Did this site, these cars, harbour terrorists? Israel's only concern is killing.'

Schools and local institutions in the camp remained closed as the community mourned. Authorities and leaders called for calm while investigations and recovery efforts continued.