BEIRUT: Lebanon said three people were killed on Tuesday in a strike near Tripoli that the Israeli military said targeted a Hamas fighter, the first on the north since a November ceasefire with Hezbollah.

The strike came amid ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Qatar and as five Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory this year.

Israel has kept up its strikes on Lebanon despite the November truce, mainly hitting what it says are Hezbollah targets but also occasionally targeting Hamas.

“A short while ago, the (Israeli military) struck a key Hamas fighter in the area of Tripoli in Lebanon,” the Israeli army said.

Lebanon’s health ministry said the strike on a vehicle “killed three people and wounded 13”.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025