Israeli airstrikes in northern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip have killed dozens of people, including several children, rescuers and officials say.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Sunday that at least 23 people, including seven children, had died in al-Maat, near Byblos, north of the capital Beirut.
In northern Gaza, at least 30 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on two houses in the besieged area, the Civil Defense Agency said.
The first strike occurred at a house in Jabalia on Sunday morning, killing at least 25 people, including 13 children, and wounding more than 30, the agency said.
Five more people were killed in Gaza City’s Sabra district, with some still missing, the Civil Protection Agency said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not comment on the Lebanon airstrikes. It said it had struck the Jabalia area, where terrorists were active, and that measures had been taken to mitigate civilian casualties and details were being reviewed.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said rescue workers were still searching the wreckage following the strike in Al-Maat.
Israel has expanded its attacks against the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The main focus has been southern Lebanon, with the goal of undermining the group’s ability to launch rockets across the border. But in recent weeks, operations have targeted cities and towns across Lebanon.
In a separate incident in the south, an Israeli airstrike hit the Islamic Health Authority building in Adrun, killing three medical staff, the health ministry said.
In a further update, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that 53 people had died on Saturday, including 28 in the south and 17 in Baalbek.
The IDF intercepted a Hezbollah rocket on Saturday after Hezbollah fired 70 projectiles, according to the Israeli military.
At least 3,189 people have been killed, 14,078 injured and more than 1.2 million people have been displaced across Lebanon since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated seven weeks ago, according to Lebanese authorities.
Aid groups in Gaza say Jabalia and other areas in northern Gaza have been under siege since early October, when Israel launched a new ground offensive against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Dr. Fadel Naim, director of Gaza City’s Al-Ahli Hospital, told The Associated Press that his facility had so far received 17 bodies, including nine women, from Jabalia, and that the death toll was likely to rise.
Witnesses described the Israeli attack as “seismic.”
“We were just sitting peacefully. These are innocent citizens who do not belong to any military organization or force,” Hamza Alloush, an eyewitness and victim’s family member, told Reuters.
The house “was bombed without warning over the heads of its inhabitants, resulting in the martyrdom of all who were inside. Those lucky enough to survive were hurled against trees and neighbors, their remains still scattered beneath the rubble.” he said
Videos and images show several bodies lying in the hospital, wrapped in blankets and lying in the backseat of a car.
Another strike in Gaza City killed a welfare ministry official and seven members of his family, including his wife and children, medics and relatives said.
Israel faces a U.S. deadline expiring within days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face potential restrictions on military cooperation.
that The United Nations said earlier. The “darkest moments” of the Gaza war were unfolding in the northern part of the territory.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Defense Ministry said that seven civilians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a residential building south of the capital Damascus.
The dead included women and children, and 20 people were injured, the statement said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack targeted Hezbollah members.
The UK-based watchdog said the strike targeted “buildings where Lebanese families and activists live.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had no immediate comment but had previously said it would not allow Iran to expand its presence in Syria.
On Saturday, Israel said global food security experts had rejected warnings of famine in the northern Gaza Strip, relying on “partial and biased data and superficial sources with vested interests.”
The independent Famine Review Commission (FRC) said famine was very likely imminent and immediate action was needed to alleviate the catastrophic situation.
Israel said it had stepped up its assistance efforts, including opening additional crossings on Friday to provide more assistance to southern Gaza.
The IDF later said it had delivered 11 trucks of food, water and medical aid to Jabalia and Beit Hanoun on Thursday.
Meanwhile, efforts for a ceasefire have reached a stalemate. Qatar suspends role as mediator Until Hamas and Israel show a willingness to negotiate.
Israel began its current military offensive in Gaza on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and returned 251 hostages to the Strip.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza I think the UN is trustworthyMore than 43,600 deaths have been reported since the war began. It is believed that more bodies remain in the rubble of the shelled building.
In Lebanon, Israel has launched an offensive against Hezbollah after nearly a year of cross-border fighting triggered by the Gaza war.
Israeli airstrikes eliminated much of Hezbollah’s leadership and caused widespread destruction in southern and eastern Lebanon, where Hezbollah has a strong presence, and in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Israeli authorities say more than 70 people were killed in Hezbollah attacks in Israel and the occupied Golan Heights last year.