Israeli strikes on northern Lebanon and Gaza have killed dozens of people including several children, rescuers and officials say.

The Lebanese health ministry said at least 23 people including seven children were killed on Sunday in Almat near Byblos, to the north of the capital Beirut.

In northern Gaza, the civil defence agency said at least 30 people were killed in Israeli strikes on two houses in the besieged enclave.

The first strike early Sunday hit a house in Jabalia, killing "at least 25" people, including 13 children, and injuring more than 30, according to the agency.

Another five people were killed in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City and some are still missing in the aftermath, the civil defence agency said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hezbollah had stored weapons at, and were operating from, the site it had targeted in Lebanon.

It added "numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians, including the use of aerial surveillance and precise intelligence".

The IDF said it struck a site in Jabalia where "terrorists were operating" and in the case of that strike as well, steps had been taken to mitigate civilian harm.

The details of both incidents were under review, it said.

The Lebanese health ministry said rescue workers were still searching the rubble after the strike in Almat.

Israel has escalated its campaign against Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. Its main focus had been southern Lebanon, aiming to weaken the group’s capacity to launch rockets across the border. But in recent weeks, operations have targeted cities and towns throughout Lebanon.

In a separate incident to the south, three medical workers were killed when an Israeli strike hit an Islamic Health Authority building in Adloun, the health ministry said.

In a further update, the Lebanese health ministry said in a statement on Sunday that 53 people were killed on Saturday, including 28 in the south and 17 in Baalbek.

The IDF said it had intercepted Hezbollah rockets on Saturday after the militant group launched 70 projectiles, according to Israel’s military.

Since the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah seven weeks ago, at least 3,189 people have been killed,14,078 injured and more than 1.2 million displaced across Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities.

In Gaza, aid groups say Jabalia and other parts of northern Gaza have been under siege since early October when Israel launched a new ground offensive against the Palestinian armed group Hamas.

Dr Fadel Naim, director of the Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza City, told AP news agency that his facility had received 17 bodies from Jabalia so far, including those of nine women, and the death toll was likely to rise.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1424 HRS, NOV 11, 2024
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