Continuing the attacks in southern Lebanon, an Israeli drone today struck a car traveling near the city of Tyre, killing a Hamas member and a civilian bystander, and wounding two others.
The slain Hamas member was identified as Hadi Mustafa, described by Israel as a “significant figure” who directed terror squads attacking Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide.
Mustafa actually lived in Rashideh refugee camp in Lebanon, and while Hamas television identified him as a “military leader,” these sources also denied he was a senior figure in the Hamas movement.
Israel claimed Mustafa worked under Samir Fendi, assassinated on January 2 in Beirut, in the course of the slaying of negotiator Saleh Arouri.
The civilian killed and two others wounded in southern Lebanon were not identified, though the slain man was reportedly a Syrian who was riding a motorcycle passing the targeted car during the attack.
This attack comes just a day after the attack on northeastern Lebanon, near Baalbek, which killed two people and wounded 20 others. Israel said that attack was in response to roughly 100 rockets fired against the Golan Heights from southern Lebanon.
Lebanese officials say the increase in number and severity of Israeli strikes is a military response to faltering political settlement negotiations. They expressed concern that this ramped-up response would only make things worse.
Negotiations are ongoing to try to end the fighting in the Gaza Strip, and Hezbollah has said they would go along with such a ceasefire in Lebanon as well. However, Israel has said any truce in Gaza would allow them to escalate the attacks on the Lebanese targets.