A senior Hamas official survived Saturday an Israeli assassination attempt in Lebanon, a Palestinian security source told AFP, with rescuers reporting two civilians killed in the strike south of Beirut.
Israeli forces and Lebanese movement Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, have traded near-daily fire since war broke out on October 7 between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group in the Gaza Strip.
But the Israel-Lebanon violence has been largely contained to the border area, and Saturday's strike was the second-farthest deadly attack from the frontier in four months of hostilities.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said Israeli forces struck a car in the coastal town of Jadra, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the border.
The Palestinian source, requesting anonymity for security concerns, said the strike "was a failed attempt to assassinate a senior official in the (Hamas) movement".
An official with the Lebanese Risala Scout association, which operates rescue teams and is affiliated with the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement, told AFP that two civilians had been killed.
The official identified them as a vegetable vendor and a Syrian man on a motorbike who both happened to be nearby.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
An AFP photographer at the scene saw a damaged car and a charred motorcycle nearby, with bloodstains all over the site of the strike near the beach in Jadra.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Kamala Harris Calls For End To War In Gaza, No Israeli Reoccupation Arab Nations Willing To Recognise Israel, Netanyahu Must...: US Congressman Ami Bera Hamas Chief Says Gaza Is "Prepared For Long War" In Big Step Towards One Nation, One Election, Cabinet Clears Plan Explained: How Pagers Turned Bombs And Why Israel Is Being Blamed New XEC Covid Variant Spreads To 27 Countries, Here's What We Know So Far Ukrainian Strike Triggers Earthquake-Sized Blast At Russian Arsenal: Report Not Practical: 15 Opposition Parties Rubbish "One Nation, One Election" Plan Veterinarian Warns Against Owning These 5 Dog Breeds Due To Health Concerns Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.