Israel Lebanon strike kills Hamas member: Palestinian official

BEIRUT, LEBANON, APRIL 4 (AFP/APP/DNA):An Israeli drone strike on the Lebanese port city of Sidon killed a member of Palestinian group Hamas on Friday, a Palestinian official said.

The strike on a flat in a residential area of the city killed the official and his adult son and daughter, the source said speaking on condition of anonymity.

An AFP correspondent saw the fourth-floor flat still on fire after the strike, which caused heavy damage to the apartment block and neighbouring buildings and sparked panic in the densely populated neighbourhood.

Lebanese state media had reported the 3:45 am (0045 GMT) strike on Sidon, saying at least three people were killed.

“A hostile drone raided a residential apartment… causing two successive explosions that led to a fire and extensive damage,” the state-run National News Agency reported.

Emergency workers rushed to the scene where they recovered “the bodies of three martyrs,” NNA said.

Israel struck south Beirut earlier this week, killing a Hezbollah Palestinian liaison officer in only the second raid on the capital since a November ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group.

The Lebanese health ministry reported four dead in that strike, including a woman.

Lebanese leaders condemned the attack but Israel said it was in response to recent unclaimed rocket fire that Hezbollah insists it had no hand in.

Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah spiralled into all-out conflict last September, and the group remains a target of Israeli air strikes despite a November 27 ceasefire.

Under the truce, Hezbollah is supposed to redeploy its forces north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.

Israel is supposed to withdraw its forces across the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, but has missed two deadlines to do so and continues to hold five positions it deems “strategic”.