More than a dozen dead after Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon

Israel launched airstrikes Tuesday against a training compound in southern Lebanon used by the terror group Hamas, according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The airstrike occurred in a Palestinian refugee camp in Ain al-Hilweh, according to local health officials, who said 13 people died in the strike. The IDF said militants at the site were actively planning attacks against the Jewish state and insisted the Israeli military does all it can to protect civilians. It noted that terror groups like Hamas intentionally locate infrastructure in residential areas in order to maximize civilian casualties.

Hamas denied that it had training compounds in any refugee camps, according to Lebanese media outlet Naharnet. Tuesday’s airstrike was the deadliest of its kind in Lebanon since Israel and the terror group Hezbollah reached a ceasefire agreement last year.

What else is happening in Lebanon? The IDF on Wednesday released a video of what it said was an Israeli strike on Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in southern Lebanon. The video appeared to show several initial explosions, followed by what the IDF said was at least one secondary explosion resulting from the ignition of weapons stored at the site. The facilities were located in the heart of the civilian population, according to the IDF. The military said it took measures before the strike to minimize harm to civilians.

Dig deeper: Read Joyce Wu’s report outlining the challenges faced by Lebanese Christians.