Israel intensified its military strikes on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 31 Palestinians, including six children, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Despite a ceasefire agreement, the number of strikes and casualties recorded within a few hours marks the deadliest escalation in recent weeks, residents and officials said.
An Israeli drone strike hit a vehicle in the southern Lebanese town of Rab el-Thalathine, killing one person. The Israeli military said the target was a member of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024, but Lebanese officials say Israeli forces continue to violate the truce on a near-daily basis and have yet to fully withdraw from parts of southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said the air strikes in Gaza were carried out in response to what it described as violations of the ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, the military said its forces, working alongside Israel’s domestic intelligence service, targeted individuals it identified as commanders and fighters from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The army said it identified eight people it described as militants emerging from what it called underground infrastructure in eastern Rafah, before launching further strikes across the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian health officials said the attacks hit multiple residential areas, including parts of Gaza City, as emergency services struggled to reach victims amid ongoing bombardment.
There was no immediate response from Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad to the Israeli claims.
