The Islamic Group in Lebanon announced on Wednesday that its Deputy Head of the Political Bureau, Bassam Hammoud, met with a delegation from the Hamas movement led by National Relations Official Ayman Shanaa. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Political Official Hassan al-Shammaas, political department member Mohammed Hosni, and prominent figure Hassan Abu Zeid.

According to the statement issued by the Islamic Group, discussions focused on the repercussions of the latest Israeli aggression targeting Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in the city of Saida, which resulted in the martyrdom and injury of dozens of civilians.

The group condemned the strike as a new crime added to what it described as the Israeli occupation’s ongoing record of atrocities, carried out in pursuit of expansionist goals and in blatant violation of international laws, with continuous Western support and Arab complicity.

The participants stressed that the united political stance and widespread popular solidarity witnessed after the attack reaffirm that all attempts by the Israeli occupation to undermine the popular support for the resistance and the national liberation project are doomed to fail. They emphasized the Palestinian people’s unwavering commitment to reclaiming their land and returning to their homeland.

According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, the Israeli assault on Ain al-Hilweh led to the martyrdom of 14 Palestinians and left several others wounded.

Israeli massacre devastates southern Lebanon

A massacre perpetrated by the Israeli occupation regime last Tuesday left 13 civilians dead in a preliminary toll in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon, southern Lebanon, marking a serious escalation and a flagrant violation of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement. 

According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent, an airstrike targeted a parking lot in the densely populated camp, causing a significant number of casualties. The Lebanese Ministry of Health updated the death toll to 13 martyrs as of Tuesday evening, with the number expected to be finalized following ongoing assessments. 

This marks the first assault of its kind on the camp since the so-called ceasefire took effect last year. It also comes as Beirut continues to fully comply with the ceasefire’s provisions, while the Israeli occupation persists in its attacks across southern Lebanon with absolute impunity. 

Hamas issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attack as “a brutal assault on our unarmed Palestinian people and on Lebanese sovereignty.” The movement stressed that the strike hit an open sports field known to residents and frequented by young teenagers at the time of the attack. 

Israeli claims they hit 'training compound' are 'fabrication and lies'

Responding to the Israeli occupation’s claims that the target was a “training compound,” Hamas rejected the allegations as “fabrication and lies aimed at justifying its criminal aggression and inciting hostility toward the camps and our Palestinian people.” The movement asserted that “there are no military installations in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.” 

Hamas declared that the Israeli occupation bears “full responsibility for this heinous crime against our Palestinian people and against the sisterly Lebanese state,” extending condolences to the families of the martyrs and wishing a swift recovery to the wounded. The statement honored those killed, saying it prays for “patience and comfort for their families” and healing for those injured.