The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, the first targeted killing in the area for several months.

Lebanon said three people were killed Tuesday in a strike near Tripoli that the Israeli military said targeted a Hamas militant, the first on the north since a November ceasefire with Hezbollah.The strike came as Israel and Hamas held ceasefire talks in Qatar and after five Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in the Gaza Strip,

The Israeli army claimed Tuesday that its forces had killed two Hezbollah members, including a commander, in airstrikes in southern Lebanon, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement.