BEIRUT 

Palestinian group Hamas said Wednesday that one of its members had been killed in clashes with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. 

The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said that its member had lost his life in Sidon, without providing any further details.

Hamas earlier claimed responsibility for firing 20 rockets from southern Lebanon into northern Israel “in response to Israeli massacres against civilians in Gaza.”

Israel has launched a relentless military assault on Gaza after a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv says killed around 1,200 people.

During Israel’s military campaign, at least 24,448 Palestinians have been killed and 61,504 others injured. The majority of the victims were children and women.

According to the UN, 85% of the population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala