Lebanon said an Israeli strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in the country's south killed at least 13 people on Tuesday in an updated toll.
In an updated toll, the health ministry reported "13 dead and a number of others wounded" in the strike in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp on the outskirts of the city of Sidon, adding that "ambulances are still transporting more wounded to nearby hospitals".
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the strike targeted a car near the Khalid bin al-Walid mosque and that "subsequently it was reported that the raid also targeted" the mosque itself and a centre of the same name.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported initially that the Israeli strike hit the southern Lebanese city of Sidon killed 11 people and wounded four others.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military claimed that it struck fighters whom it said were operating in a training compound in the crowded Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon.
The military alleged the compound has been used by the Palestinian movement Hamas to carry out attacks against Israel.
There has yet to be confirmation of the Israeli claims.
The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site al-Araby Al-Jadeed, citing Hamas sources, reported that Israel had hit a closed mini-football pitch that locals use regularly and is typically busy at that time, dismissing the Israeli account.
The Palestinian organisation has since issued a statement stating that it had no military installations in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, dismissing Israel's claims of having hit a Hamas training compound on Tuesday as "lies".
Blaming Israel for a "brutal assault" on the Ain al-Helweh camp, Hamas said that "claims that the targeted location was a 'training compound affiliated with the movement' are pure fabrications and lies," as it insisted: "There are no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon."
The Israeli military released a video of a strike hitting a building, but Hamas claimed that "the targeted site was an open sports field frequented by the youth of the camp", and that "those targeted were a group of young boys" on the field at the time.
Earlier in the day, an Israeli airstrike killed a Lebanese civilian in the town of Blida in the Marjeyoun district, while another person died in a separate strike on a vehicle in Bint Jbeil.
The intensifying Israeli attacks coincide with rising threats of large-scale military action in Lebanon, ostensibly aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capacity.
This escalation also comes amid mounting US pressure to rapidly disarm the group, pressure that has now extended to the Lebanese army itself.
Several US lawmakers launched an attack on Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal, prompting him to cancel a planned visit to Washington.
Israeli violations of the ceasefire that came into effect on 27 November 2014 have now exceeded 6,000, resulting in more than 300 deaths and over 600 injuries, alongside the destruction of homes, infrastructure, forests, and farmland.
Israel also continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon. Lebanon has yet to receive any Israeli response, via Washington, to negotiations aimed at ending the occupation and preventing a broader war.
American pressure intensified further when members of the US Congress criticised General Haykal over a recent statement regarding Israel.
They argued that his remarks marked “a major setback to efforts to move Lebanon forward” and that the Lebanese Armed Forces were "a useless investment for America".
Lebanon’s Al Jadeed television reported on Tuesday that the decision also came after the US administration expressed dissatisfaction over what it views as the army’s failure to fulfil its assigned duties and to advance Hezbollah’s disarmament.
On Sunday, the Lebanese Army Command issued a statement condemning Israel’s targeting of a UNIFIL patrol, accusing Israel of repeatedly violating Lebanese sovereignty, destabilising the country, and obstructing the army’s full deployment in the south.
Ahead of the commander’s intended trip to Washington, US Senator Lindsey Graham posted on X that General Heikal’s description of Israel as “the enemy” and his “weak and almost non-existent efforts to disarm Hezbollah” represented a significant obstacle to progress, making the Lebanese Armed Forces “a useless investment for America”.
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, citing sources within the Lebanese army, that the commander cancelled his three-day visit due to these attacks from US lawmakers and because he had been informed that several scheduled meetings had been dropped.
They described the situation as part of an “Israeli-driven smear campaign” targeting Lebanese state institutions.
The Al-Araby Al-Jadeed's sources added that the army continues to carry out its duties fully, including implementing the plan to restrict weapons within the agreed programme and timeline. The first phase, covering areas south of the Litani River, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Addressing American criticism, the sources stressed that “there is an enemy occupying Lebanese territory, violating the ceasefire agreement, and repeatedly attacking army positions as well as UNIFIL posts”.
They noted that UNIFIL documents and condemns all such violations, while the Lebanese army continues to fulfil its responsibilities under the agreement.
They also said the army commander had not been told of any suspension of US aid.
Editor's note: This article was updated on Wednesday 19 October 2025 to include the latest statement by Hamas following the Ain al-Helweh attack.