Palestinian Islamic Jihad Commander Killed in Israeli Attack in Lebanon

A commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group and his daughter were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting an apartment on the outskirts of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon, in the early hours of Monday. According to reports from the National News Agency, the deceased have been identified as Wael Abdul Halim, a commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and his 17-year-old daughter, Rama. Rescue teams and ambulances are continuing operations at the site to clear debris and search for any potential survivors. The strike represents the latest violation of the fragile ceasefire that came into effect on 17 April and was subsequently extended until early July. Since 2 March, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have reportedly killed nearly 3,000 people, injured over 9,000 others, and caused the displacement of more than 1.6 million citizens. According to Lebanese officials, this number of displaced persons is equivalent to approximately one-fifth of the country’s population.