Israeli strike kills three near Tripoli in latest blow to fragile Lebanon ceasefire

An Israeli airstrike on a vehicle near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has killed at least three people and injured 13 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, in what officials say is a clear breach of the ceasefire between the two countries.

The attack, which took place Tuesday in the Ayrounieh area — some 180 kilometres (110 miles) from the Israeli border — marks one of the deepest Israeli strikes inside Lebanon in recent months. It comes as Israel intensifies its operations amid what analysts describe as Hezbollah’s weakened position, the Lebanese army’s limited capacity to respond, and the international community’s failure to rein in the escalating attacks.

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The Israeli military said it had targeted a “key” figure from the Palestinian group Hamas, but did not identify the individual. A Hamas source in Lebanon told Al Araby TV that no senior official had been killed, while Lebanon’s Annahar newspaper reported that early indications suggested the assassination attempt may have failed.

Tripoli, Lebanon’s northernmost major city, is home to the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp — one of several camps across the country that have housed Palestinians for decades. Hamas and other Palestinian factions maintain a presence in these areas, complicating Lebanon’s security landscape further.

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Since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, Israel has repeatedly struck targets in Lebanon, mainly Hezbollah positions and, increasingly, Palestinian factions. While last year’s ceasefire formally halted direct conflict, Israeli forces have continued to launch attacks on what they describe as Hezbollah arms depots, fighters, and other assets — strikes that have also damaged civilian homes, municipal workers and critical infrastructure.

Just a day before the Tripoli attack, at least one person was killed in a suspected Israeli air raid on a van in the southern town of Deir Kifa.

The latest attacks coincided with a high-level diplomatic visit by US envoy Thomas Barrack, who was in Beirut for two days of talks focused on disarming Hezbollah — a decades-old issue that has long eluded resolution. After meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday, Barrack told reporters he was “unbelievably satisfied” with Lebanon’s initial response to a US proposal aimed at removing Hezbollah’s weapons.

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Meanwhile, residents in Tripoli and across Lebanon are bracing for what many fear could be an escalation of violence. The strike near the country’s north underscores Israel’s growing willingness to strike far beyond the southern border, amplifying anxiety in a nation already grappling with economic crisis and political paralysis.

As tension simmers, calls are mounting for renewed international pressure to uphold the ceasefire and prevent Lebanon from sliding into another protracted conflict.