By Abdul Adil
London, (The Muslim Nwes): One person was killed and several others injured after an Israeli drone fired three missiles at the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Friday.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that the strike targeted the Hittin neighborhood inside the densely populated camp near the city of Sidon. The airstrike caused significant damage to the targeted building and surrounding structures.
Ambulances rushed to the scene and transported the injured to hospitals in Sidon, which issued urgent appeals for blood donations due to the severity of the casualties.
The Israeli military claimed it struck a Hamas command center in the Ain al-Hilweh area. It described the facility as being used to plan attacks against Israel.
The Israeli army carried out a similar strike in November 2025 in the same area, where at least 13 people were killed and several others injured. The military later stated that Hamas members were the target of that operation.
Hamas condemned the latest strike as a “brutal assault” on civilians, claiming it targeted teenagers gathered on an open sports field.
The incident comes amid ongoing tensions despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024. Lebanese officials have accused Israel of repeated violations of the truce. Israel continues to hold five hilltops seized during the most recent conflict, along with other Lebanese territories it has controlled for decades.
Illegal Jewish settler attacks and arrest, raids reported in the Occupied West Bank
In a separate development, a Palestinian local official was injured Thursday evening when illegal Israeli settlers entered Al-Malih village in the northern occupied West Bank, according to local sources.
Around 30 settlers reportedly assaulted village council chief Mahdi Daraghmeh, leaving him in need of medical treatment. He was transferred to a nearby health facility. During the incident, settlers allegedly vandalized property and set vehicles on fire. Israeli forces later entered the village.
In another incident on Friday, a Palestinian woman was injured in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron. Osama Makhamra, a field activist with the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, said armed settlers stormed a home in the village of Khirbet Al-Mafqara and assaulted family members. Khadra Al-Hamamda sustained bruises and was taken to hospital for treatment.
These incidents come amid heightened tensions across the West Bank. Palestinian communities have reported increasing violence involving settlers in recent months.
Last week, Israel’s government approved measures to alter the legal and civil framework in the West Bank. Palestinians say the steps aim to further entrench Israeli control over the territory.
Since launching its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Palestinians describe the escalation — including arrests, displacement, and settlement expansion — as part of a broader push toward annexation.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and calling for the evacuation of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrested 14 Palestinians on Friday during raids across multiple areas of the West Bank, coinciding with the third day of Ramadan.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office, 13 of the arrests took place in the northern governorates of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Salfit. One individual reportedly turned himself in under pressure.
Amjad al-Najjar, director general of the Palestinian Prisoner Society, said arrests have increased since the start of Ramadan.
Palestinian officials report that more than 9,300 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including hundreds of minors and women. They allege that detainees face harsh conditions, including medical neglect.
[Photo: Israeli forces prevent Palestinians from entering Jerusalem from the West Bank to perform the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, on February 20, 2026. Thousands of Palestinians gathered from the early morning hours at the Qalandiya checkpoint in an attempt to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli forces implemented extensive security measures in the area. Photojournalist: Issam Rimawi/AA]
