Israeli drone strike kills Hamas military official and family in Lebanon's Tripoli

An Israeli drone strike targeted a Palestinian refugee camp near Lebanon’s Tripoli early on Saturday, killing a Hamas official, his wife, and children.

This is the first time the north of the country has been hit since the beginning of Israel's intensified attacks on Lebanon in September.

Hamas announced that the drone strike killed Saeed Atallah Ali, a Hamas military official, along with his wife and two young daughters.

Lebanese and Palestinian media said that the strike hit an apartment building in the Beddawi camp for Palestinian refugees.

"We pledge to our people to avenge the pure blood that was shed and to confirm that our upcoming series of responses will be in actions before words," Hamas said in a statement.

Reports in Lebanese media stated the strike completely burned down and levelled the apartment building, with several bodies of people being transferred by the Red Cross to the Tripoli Governmental Hospital and the Al-Hilal Hospital.

The Beddawi camp was established in 1955 and has around 18,000 people living in it according to the UN. Inside the camp there are five UNRWA run schools catering to thousands of children.

Following the strike, there was a large protest with locals denouncing Israeli aggression.

Israel carried out simultaneous air strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday evening.

Around 2,000 people have been killed by Israel in Lebanon since it dramatically intensified its attacks on the country last month.

Israel’s bombardment of the country has already displaced around 1.2 million people, with residents of the south, the Beirut suburb of Dahieh, and the eastern Bekaa Valley fleeing their homes.

Leading humanitarian and human rights organisations have called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel continues to strike the country, expanding its war in the region.

Earlier this week, representatives from leading charities, including Save the Children, Doctors without Borders and Oxfam, some of whom have hubs in Beirut, spoke of the devastating impact Israel's war is having on Gaza and Lebanon and the growing risk of further regional escalation.

The speakers also discussed the mass displacement of civilians in Lebanon, the impact on Syrian refugees and Lebanon's fragile healthcare system.

Lebanon has suffered a total of 8,814 airstrikes since 8 October with up to 97 health care workers killed.