Israel targets north Lebanon, kills Hamas leader in fresh airstrikes

The Israeli army on Saturday expanded its airstrikes to northern Lebanon as bombings continued in Beirut and southern cities, as the Israeli army continued its offensive targeting Hezbollah. Strikes hit the northern city of Tripoli early on Saturday, where a top Hamas leader and his family were killed.
The Israeli military issued three alerts, urging residents in the area to evacuate immediately. Explosions and airstrikes also occurred near Beirut’s airport during the night, as flights were arriving.
The fresh round of intensified attacks came after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned in his Friday sermon that “Israel will not last long” and “Iran will not back down”.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has been pounding southern Lebanon for nearly three weeks, killing scores of people and displacing over 1.2 million Lebanese from their homes.