An Israeli airstrike targeting a vehicle near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli killed three people and injured 13 others on Tuesday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. 

The attack occurred in the town of Aairouniyeh, on the outskirts of Tripoli.

According to a statement from the Israeli military, the strike killed Mehran Mustafa Bajur, a senior commander in the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The military described Bajur as a “key figure” in Hamas’s operations in Lebanon and said his assassination dealt a “significant blow” to the group’s presence and activities in the country.

In its statement, the Israeli military accused Bajur of having played a central role in orchestrating attacks on Israel in recent years, including leading rocket launches from Lebanese territory targeting cities such as Nahariya and Kiryat Shmona during the current conflict.

“Bajur served as one of Hamas’s top commanders in Lebanon, and for years was instrumental in developing the group’s military capabilities on Lebanese soil,” the statement said.

It further claimed that he was deeply involved in the organization’s weapons procurement efforts, leveraging his ties to other militant groups in the region.

الجيش اللبناني يصل إلى مكان الاستهداف في العيرونية طرابلس pic.twitter.com/PAD8nBYX9i

— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) July 8, 2025

فيديو آخر من العيرونية pic.twitter.com/6FCnAxoDJ4

— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) July 8, 2025