JERUSALEM - Israel confirmed on Monday the killing of Fateh Sherif, the leader of Hamas in Lebanon, during an Israeli raid in southern Lebanon.

A joint statement from the Israeli military and the Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, indicated that the Israeli Air Force targeted Sherif, citing his role in coordinating Hamas's military and political activities in Lebanon, including recruitment, weapon acquisition, and facilitating the group's efforts in the region. The statement also mentioned Sherif's involvement in coordinating with Hezbollah.

ALSO READ: Published: Israeli forces deepen raid in Rafah, kill 27 people across Gaza

According to Lebanese military sources, Sherif was killed alongside his wife and two sons during the attack on their home in the Rashidieh camp early Monday.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported that this operation marked the first targeting of the camp since the escalation of strikes against Lebanon.

In a statement, Hamas expressed that Sherif had joined "the leaders and martyrs that preceded him," honoring his commitment to the Palestinian cause.

ALSO READ: Israeli military says it has killed Hezbollah chief Nasrallah

Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have sharply escalated following Israel's shift in military focus from Gaza to the northern front, intensifying clashes that began on Oct 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel in solidarity with Hamas, prompting Israeli retaliatory strikes in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, three people of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a residential building in the al Cola area in Beirut, al-Jadeed local TV channel reported.

This marked Israel's first attack on the capital since the outbreak of the Hezbollah-Israel conflict. Previously attacks concentrated on Beirut's southern suburbs.

READ MORE: Israel rejects truce plan, continues to launch extensive strikes in Lebanon

The densely populated al Cola area has seen an influx of displaced people fleeing Israeli airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon. Following the attack, ambulances arrived to transport the wounded, while civil defense teams worked to evacuate residents from the building. The Lebanese army was also deployed to the scene.

Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have escalated after Israel expanded its military operations to Lebanon, aiming to allow Israeli settlers to return to northern Israel. Hezbollah has announced its entry into a new phase of the conflict, pledging continued support for Gaza.