BEIRUT, August 9. /TASS/. An unmanned aerial vehicle of the Israeli Air Force hit a car in the Lebanese city of Saida, the Naharnet news website reports.

The attack reportedly killed Hamas commander Samer al-Hajj and left another member of the Palestinian movement injured. According to Naharnet, al-Hajj was in charge of security in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp located on the outskirts of Saida.

A source in the city’s civil defense service told TASS on the phone that the car had caught fire after the attack and the fighter who was in the car together with al-Hajj had been taken to the hospital with injuries and burns. According to the source, this was the first Israeli drone attack on downtown Saida since the escalation of tensions in October 2023.

Saida is considered Lebanon’s third largest city after Beirut and Tripoli. Ain al-Hilweh is the largest Palestinian camp in Lebanon, accommodating over 100,000 refugees. The country hosts a total of 12 Palestinian camps, while the total number of refugees is estimated at 450,000.