By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israeli drone strike targets Ain al-Hilweh camp in southern Lebanon, killing two and wounding several, Lebanese sources report.

Key Developments

• An Israeli drone fired three missiles into Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon.
• Two people were killed and several others were wounded.
• The Israeli army claimed it struck a Hamas “command center” inside the camp.
• Israeli drones continued flying over Ain al-Hilweh and Sidon after the strike.
• The attack follows repeated Israeli violations of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement.
• Additional Israeli gunfire and drone activity were reported across multiple southern Lebanese towns.

An Israeli drone fired three missiles into the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Friday, killing at least two people and injuring several others, according to Lebanese media reports.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) said the strike hit the Hittin neighborhood inside the densely populated camp near the southern city of Sidon. The agency initially reported multiple injuries. Later, Al-Mayadeen confirmed that two people were killed in the attack, in addition to several wounded.

The Israeli military claimed in a statement that it had struck a Hamas “command center” in the Ain al-Hilweh area. The occupation army alleged that the site was being used to plan attacks against Israel.

There was no immediate independent confirmation of the nature of the target.

Strike Hits Residential Area

According to NNA, the drone attack targeted the Hittin quarter, a residential area within the camp that houses tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees. Ain al-Hilweh is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon and is known for its dense urban layout.

Al-Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that Israeli drones continued flying over Ain al-Hilweh, the city of Sidon, and surrounding areas following the strike.

The attack comes amid heightened tensions in southern Lebanon and continued Israeli military activity despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024.

The Israeli occupation army said the strike targeted what it described as a Hamas command and training facility. Similar claims were made following a previous strike on the camp in November 2025.

In that earlier incident, an Israeli airstrike hit a parking area near a mosque in Ain al-Hilweh, killing at least 11 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry and state media at the time. The Associated Press reported that the Israeli military had said it struck a Hamas training center and that it would “continue to act against Hamas wherever they work.”

Following the November 2025 strike, Hamas condemned the attack as a “brutal assault” on civilians and said the target had been a group of teenagers gathered on an open sports field.

The Israeli military has not released further details regarding Friday’s operation beyond its initial statement.

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Ceasefire Violations

The latest strike takes place in the context of repeated Israeli operations in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024, which ended the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanese officials have repeatedly accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 to halt hostilities and affirm Lebanese sovereignty.

On Friday, NNA also reported that Israeli forces fired machine guns toward the outskirts of several southern Lebanese towns, including Yaroun, Marwahin, and Shihin. An Israeli drone reportedly dropped a stun grenade over the town of Houla, though no injuries were reported there.

In addition, Israeli forces carried out what was described as a “large explosion” near the town of Adaisseh, while a drone strike targeted the outskirts of the town of Markaba earlier in the day. Israeli drones were also reported flying at low altitude over Baalbek and surrounding villages in eastern Lebanon.

Israel continues to occupy five hilltops inside Lebanese territory that were seized during the most recent war, according to Lebanese officials. These positions are separate from areas Israel has held along the border for decades.

Lebanese authorities say that repeated Israeli aggressions since the ceasefire have resulted in hundreds of casualties over recent months.

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Ain al-Hilweh

Ain al-Hilweh has long been a sensitive security zone, hosting Palestinian resistance factions.

The refugee camp, located on the outskirts of Sidon, houses tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of them descendants of Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 Nakba. The narrow streets and dense infrastructure make any military strike particularly dangerous for civilians.

Friday’s attack marks the latest escalation in a series of cross-border incidents and targeted strikes that have continued despite diplomatic efforts to stabilize the southern Lebanese front.

There was no immediate statement from Lebanese government officials beyond media reporting, and the full extent of the casualties and damage remains unclear.

The situation remains fluid, with Israeli drones continuing surveillance flights over southern Lebanon at the time of reporting.

(NNA, Al-Mayadeen, PC, Israeli Military)