Israel says it killed a Hamas commander in Lebanon

Lebanese officials condemned the attack as a violation of the US-backed ceasefire, which has been increasingly fragile

The Israeli military said on Friday it had killed Hassan Farhat, a commander of Palestinian militant group Hamas, in the Sidon region of southern Lebanon.

Hassan Farhat, a leader of the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas, was killed in the Sidon district of southern Lebanon, the Israeli military announced on Friday. (AP/representative )

The Lebanese Health Ministry said three people were killed in an Israeli strike on an apartment in Sidon. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's office said the attack was a clear violation of a U.S.-backed ceasefire which ended last year's war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

The ceasefire has appeared increasingly precarious in recent weeks, with Israel striking the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut twice and rockets being fired on two occasions from Lebanon towards Israel.

Hezbollah has denied any role in the rocket fire.