An early morning Israeli airstrike on a mosque in the Gaza Strip killed at least 19 people, according to Palestinian authorities. The strike is part of Israel’s intensifying military campaign in northern Gaza and southern Lebanon, as the conflict with Iran-backed militant groups escalates across the region.
Israel’s ongoing battle against Hamas, which began after the group’s attack on Israel on October 7, continues to evolve. Israel has also opened a second front along the Lebanon border, engaging Hezbollah, which has launched frequent attacks since the Gaza war began. The situation has further deteriorated following a ballistic missile attack on Israel by Iran, with Israeli officials vowing to retaliate against Tehran.
The growing conflict risks drawing in the United States, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support to Israel. Militias allied with Iran in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have also launched long-range strikes against Israel.
In Beersheba, southern Israel, a stabbing and shooting attack at the central bus station left one dead and ten wounded, including a border police officer. Israeli authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack, though they did not identify the assailant.
Israel has heightened security measures as memorial events for the October 7 Hamas attack approach. International rallies are also marking the anniversary.
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The Israeli strike in Gaza hit a mosque near the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah, where displaced Palestinians had sought refuge. An additional airstrike targeted a school-turned-shelter in the same area, killing four more people. Israeli military officials claimed the strikes targeted militants, though no evidence was provided. At the hospital morgue, an Associated Press reporter confirmed the victims from the mosque were all men.
Simultaneously, Israel launched a new offensive in Jabaliya, a densely populated area in northern Gaza that includes a refugee camp established during the 1948 war. Israel has conducted multiple military operations in Jabaliya over the past year. However, militants have consistently regrouped after each attack.
During the latest fighting in northern Gaza, the Israeli military reported three soldiers were severely injured. Israel reiterated its earlier calls for the full evacuation of northern Gaza, where an estimated 300,000 people remain despite the destruction, while around one million others have fled south.
“We are in a new phase of the war,” said Israeli military leaflets dropped over the area, warning that it was now a “dangerous combat zone.” Later, the military reported that three projectiles crossed from Gaza into Israeli territory, with no injuries reported.
Palestinian sources described heavy bombardment. Gaza’s Civil Defense, operating under Hamas, said it recovered three bodies, including a woman and a child, after an airstrike hit a home in the Shati refugee camp. Social media posts from local residents expressed grief over lost loved ones. Journalist Hassan Hamd, whose footage was broadcast on Al Jazeera, was among those killed in the attacks on Jabaliya.
The Israeli military has also extended the so-called humanitarian zone in southern Gaza. However, despite the influx of civilians seeking refuge, strikes have continued, with Israel claiming militants are hiding among the displaced populations. Conditions in the camps remain dire, with limited food, water, and sanitation facilities.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the death toll in Gaza has reached nearly 42,000 since the start of the war. The ministry stated that over half of those killed were women and children but did not specify how many were combatants. Hamas fighters killed around 1,200 people in the October 7 attack, taking 250 hostages, around a third of whom are believed to have died.
Airstrikes in Beirut’s Southern Suburbs
In Beirut, the southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh were hit by heavy Israeli airstrikes overnight. The bombardment, the most intense since September, targeted Hezbollah strongholds, with over 30 strikes reported. Explosions were heard across the city as Israel hit sites that included a gas station and a medical supply warehouse. Some strikes triggered secondary explosions, indicating possible ammunition storage locations.
Israel’s military confirmed it had struck targets near Beirut, stating that around 130 projectiles had been fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with several intercepted. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching rockets into northern Israel, targeting Israeli soldiers.
The escalating conflict has left at least 1,400 Lebanese dead, including civilians, medical personnel, and Hezbollah fighters. Over 1.2 million people have been displaced in less than two weeks. Israel says its military campaign aims to push Hezbollah back from the border, allowing Israeli citizens who had been evacuated to return home.
Hezbollah, Lebanon’s most powerful armed group, began firing rockets into Israel in support of Hamas following the October 7 attack. Both sides have been trading fire daily. Last week, Israel launched a ground operation into southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah leadership, which resulted in the death of several senior commanders, including long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel reported nine soldiers killed in ground clashes and claimed that 440 Hezbollah fighters had been killed.
Macron Calls for Partial Arms Embargo on Israel
French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his call for a partial arms embargo on Israel, citing the need for a ceasefire to reduce violence and open the door to political solutions. His previous statements on the matter had been met with strong opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the demands a “disgrace.”
Macron’s office insisted that France remains a staunch ally of Israel, while urging for steps toward a ceasefire to end the growing bloodshed.