DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike on a mosque within the Gaza Strip early Sunday killed at the least 19 individuals, Palestinian officers stated, as Israel intensified its bombardment of northern Gaza and southern Lebanon in a widening warfare with Iran-allied militant teams throughout the area.
A yr after Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, Israel has opened a brand new entrance in Lebanon in opposition to Hezbollah, which has traded hearth with Israel alongside the border because the warfare in Gaza started. Israel additionally has vowed to strike Iran after a ballistic missile assault on Israel final week. Iran’s state media stated some flights would halt till 6 a.m. Monday, citing “operational restrictions.”
The widening battle dangers additional drawing in america, which has offered essential army and diplomatic assist to Israel. Iran-allied militant teams in Syria, Iraq and Yemen have joined in with long-distance strikes on Israel.
Israel is on excessive alert forward of memorial occasions for the Oct. 7 assault, whereas rallies proceed all over the world marking the anniversary. A stabbing and taking pictures assault on the central bus station in Beersheba killed a border police officer, police stated. They didn’t determine the assailant however have been treating it as a terror assault.
The Israeli strike hit a mosque the place displaced individuals sheltered close to the principle hospital within the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah. One other 4 have been killed in a strike on a school-turned-shelter close to the city. The army stated each strikes focused militants.
An Related Press journalist counted the our bodies on the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue. Hospital information confirmed these killed on the mosque have been all males.
The Israeli army introduced a brand new air and floor offensive in Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, dwelling to a refugee camp relationship to the 1948 warfare surrounding Israel’s creation. Israel has carried out a number of operations there in the course of the previous yr, solely to see militants regroup.
The army stated three troopers have been severely wounded in Sunday’s combating in northern Gaza.
Israel reiterated its name, from the early weeks of the warfare, for the entire evacuation of northern Gaza. As much as 300,000 persons are estimated to have remained within the closely destroyed north whereas round 1,000,000 fled south.
“We’re in a brand new part of the warfare,” the army stated in leaflets dropped over the realm. “These areas are thought of harmful fight zones.” A later assertion stated three projectiles have been recognized crossing from northern Gaza into Israeli territory, with no accidents reported.
Frantic residents fled once more. “Since Oct. 7 to the current day, that is the twelfth time that I and my youngsters, eight people, have been homeless and thrown into the streets and have no idea the place to go,” stated one, Samia Khader.
Palestinians reported heavy Israeli strikes. The Civil Protection — first responders working below the Hamas-run authorities — stated it recovered three our bodies, together with a lady and a toddler, after a strike hit a house within the Shati refugee camp.
Residents mourned. Imad Alarabid stated on Fb an airstrike on his Jabaliya dwelling killed a dozen relations, together with his mother and father. Saeed Abu Elaish, a Well being Ministry medic, stated he was wounded.
“Pray for us,” he wrote on Fb.
Hassan Hamd, a contract TV journalist whose footage had aired on Al Jazeera, was killed in shelling on his dwelling in Jabaliya. Anas al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera reporter in northern Gaza, confirmed his demise.
Israel’s army says it has expanded the so-called humanitarian zone in southern Gaza. A whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals have sought refuge in tent camps there with little meals, water or bathrooms. Israel has carried out strikes within the zone in opposition to what it says are militants hiding amongst civilians.
Almost 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza because the warfare started, in line with the Gaza Well being Ministry. It doesn’t say what number of have been fighters, however says slightly over half have been girls and kids.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 individuals within the Oct. 7 assault and took one other 250 hostage. They nonetheless maintain round 100 captives, a 3rd of whom are believed to be lifeless.
In Beirut, airstrikes lit up the skyline in a single day and explosions echoed throughout the southern suburbs, referred to as the Dahiyeh, as Israel struck what it stated have been Hezbollah websites.
It was the heaviest bombardment since Sept. 23, when Israel escalated its air marketing campaign. Lebanon’s state-run Nationwide Information Company reported greater than 30 strikes.
“Yesterday was a tragic evening; it was very tough. All of us in Beirut might hear all the things,” resident Haytham Al-Darazi stated. One other resident, Maxime Jawad, referred to as it “an evening of terror.”
Targets included a fuel station on the principle freeway resulting in the Beirut airport and a warehouse for medical provides, the information company stated. Some strikes set off a collection of explosions, suggesting that ammunition shops have been hit.
One strike killed three sisters and their aunt within the coastal village of Jiyyeh. “This can be a civilian dwelling, and the most important proof is these martyred are 4 girls,” stated a neighbor, Ali Al Hajj. No total toll from the strikes has been reported.
Israel’s army confirmed it was hanging targets close to Beirut and stated about 130 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with some intercepted.
Hezbollah stated it efficiently focused a gaggle of Israeli troopers in northern Israel “with a big rocket salvo, hitting them precisely.”
It’s not attainable to confirm battlefield experiences from both aspect.
A minimum of 1,400 Lebanese, together with civilians, medics and Hezbollah fighters, have been killed and 1.2 million pushed from their properties in lower than two weeks. Israel says it goals to drive the militant group from its border so tens of 1000’s of Israeli residents can return dwelling.
Hezbollah, the strongest armed pressure in Lebanon, started firing rockets into Israel nearly instantly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault, calling it a present of assist for the Palestinians. Hezbollah and Israel’s army have traded hearth nearly each day.
Final week, Israel launched what it referred to as a restricted floor operation into southern Lebanon after a collection of assaults killed longtime Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and most of his prime commanders. The combating is the worst since Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long warfare in 2006. 9 Israeli troopers have been killed in floor clashes that Israel says have killed 440 Hezbollah fighters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited a army base close to the border on Sunday and referred to as troopers “the technology of victory.”
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday reiterated his name for a partial arms embargo on Israel — a requirement that prompted an indignant response from Netanyahu.
In a press release, Macron’s workplace stated he favors a halt to arms exports to be used in Gaza as a result of a cease-fire is required to cease the mounting violence and clear the way in which for political options for the safety of “Israel and the entire Center East.”
Netanyahu had described such calls by Macron as a “shame.” Macron’s workplace insisted that “France is Israel’s unfailing good friend” and referred to as Netanyahu’s remarks “extreme.”
In a while Sunday, Netanyahu’s workplace stated the 2 leaders had spoken and agreed to advertise “a dialogue” on the matter. Macron’s workplace referred to as the dialogue “frank” and stated each leaders “accepted their divergence of views.”
___
Magdy reported from Cairo. Related Press author Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.
___
Comply with AP’s warfare protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
