Israel’s military said it carried out a targeted drone strike near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on 8 July, killing Mehran Mustafa Ba‘jur, whom it described as a senior Hamas commander operating in the country. According to the Israel Defense Forces, Ba‘jur spent years developing Hamas’s military infrastructure in Lebanon and directed rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and troops, including salvos fired during the current conflict. The army released video footage it said showed the strike on the commander’s vehicle. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said three people were killed and 13 wounded when two missiles hit a vehicle in the Ayrounieh district outside Tripoli. Lebanese state media reported the attack was the first of its kind in the area in several months; Hamas did not immediately comment. The strike is the first acknowledged Israeli assassination in northern Lebanon since a U.S.-brokered cease-fire with Hezbollah came into force in November 2024. Although most Israeli operations since then have focused on southern Lebanon, Tuesday’s attack underscores the wider regional reach of Israel’s campaign against Hamas and allied militant groups.