An attempted assassination against a senior Hamas official took place in Sidon, Lebanon, early Monday afternoon, but failed. Despite a missile being fired at him during the attack, the Hamas official survived, sustaining only minor injuries, according to Lebanon’s LBC International. The vehicle involved in the attack caught fire. Lebanon’s National News Agency, which is affiliated with the government, reported that Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier twice over Sidon and areas north of the Litani River earlier in the day. This follows recent airstrikes in the Sidon area by the Israel Air Force (IAF), which resulted in the elimination of Samer Mahmoud al-Haj, a senior Hamas commander in Lebanon. Al-Haj had been involved in orchestrating terrorist activities and missile launches against Israel. The targeted official in Monday’s attempted assassination, though not publicly named, is believed to be connected to Hamas operations in the region. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)